Hetalia High
by Tetsuhiro Morinaga
Summary: CAUTION - CONTAINS YAOI. If you don't like gay stuff, this isn't for you. This is another IvanXGil and, like every time i try to write about these two, it starts out kinda violent but gets more romantic later. I promise :p There are also side-pairings with LudXVeneziano and AntonioXRomano. The scene is an international high school. Rated M for later down the road ;)
1. Chapter 1

_A (not so) quick author's note: These characters are based on Hetalia; the names, appearances, and most of the personalities (Gilbert is completely different, but the rest of them are pretty similar) are replicated. If you don't know the countries' human names, here's a quick list, if you know already, enjoy the story ^-^ I hope you like it (and if you have no idea what I'm talking about, minimize this window, open a new one, look up Hetalia, and WATCH! IT'S AMAZING!)_

_Gilbert-Prussia; Ivan-Russia; Ludwig-Germany; Veneziano-North Italy; Romano (I know his real name is Lovino, but I like Romano more :p)-South Italy; Antonio-Spain; Honda Kiku-Japan; Francis-France (duh) Natalia-Belarus; Katyusha-Ukraine and that's it so far. Enjoy!_

I

The walk home was always a long and stressful process. Gil glanced nervously over his shoulder and quickened his pace as the sound of a snapping twig reached his ears. Just as he turned back to the grassy road-side he was traversing, an arm sprang out of the bushes beside him, latching onto Gil's coat-collar and spinning him violently around.

"Gah! What the hell?! Francis, get _off_ of me!" the boy attached to the fist gripping Gil's shirt was a handsome one. Long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail to keep the wavy strands out of piercing blue eyes which were, as usual, filled with malice and deviance. A sneer adorned Francis's features as he tightened his hold on Gil, succeeding in his attempt to intimidate his classmate.

Gil himself, with his fierce, blood-red eyes, had an almost demonic edge to his features; the irony in which being that his body held none of the power his eyes seemed to convey to others around him, his constant poor health keeping his body frail and weak. Yet another feature that set him apart from his peers was Gil's odd hair. Wispy, silver strands fell in a messy frame around his slender face, and no matter how hard he tried; he never seemed to be able to get the stubborn spikes to lie flat. With an appearance like this, of course Gil stood out like a sore thumb; gaining much attention from the students around him; mostly in the form of ridicules.

"Can't do much without Lud here to fight your battles, huh?" Francis said, shaking Gil as he spoke. His younger brother, Ludwig, was the exact opposite of Gil in every way. Brawnier and more muscular, he was one of the biggest boys in the junior class. He also shared none of the odd traits that made Gil stand out; with his blond hair always slicked back and pale blue eyes, he was naturally accepted. Up until this year, Ludwig had always been there to walk Gil home, keeping the bullies away with his superior strength; but as his build became the pride of his class, he was quickly recruited for football *_Author's note: this is the rest of the world's definition of "football". Not America's.*_, leaving Gil to fend for himself as his younger sibling's life was consumed with after-school training and practice. Wishing more than ever that his brother was by his side, Gil struggled vainly against Francis as two more thugs stepped out of the bushes behind their leader. Gil did not even have to look to know who they were.

Antonio and Romano; now theirs was a relationship that always produced confusion in Gil. Antonio, a senior like Gil and Francis, was the typical "class clown" stereotype. Light brown hair shrouding his aqua eyes, he almost looked like a relation to the slightly shorter freshman who was constantly by his side. Romano, the tallest first year in the school, though he still only came up to the senior's necks, had an unbelievably dirty mouth and horrible attitude; most of which was directed at Antonio. That was what made them so interesting. With no one to sit with at lunch, Gil would just find a quiet corner and people-watch. What he saw was very befuddling. There was a pattern: Antonio would latch himself onto Romano and get oddly clingy, Romano would shout a string of curses and act angry with the violation of his personal space, but then they would spend the entire lunch hour just like that; leaning on one another and seeming to relish the contact. If Romano was always angry and annoyed with Antonio, why would he not push him away? It did not seem right to Gil; they were just too affectionate for two guy-friends (he could have sworn he had seen them holding hands once).

But although they were benevolent enough by themselves, Antonio and Romano became completely different people around Francis; the trio wreaked havoc all over the school, though Gil noticed that the youngest member only seemed to stick around because Antonio was there. But awkward relationships was the last thing on Gil's mind as the three boys crowded in on him, backing up any further would land him in the middle of the busy street. Francis's pompous French accent sounded over the roar of the engines speeding by.

"C'mon, freak. How much do you have on you today?" Antonio and Francis then began ripping Gil's book-bag off his back; Romano, as usual, just sitting back and watching, an emotionless scowl on his face.

"I don't have anything today, I swear." Gil heard his own German accent waver as he felt the weight of the backpack leave him, to be replaced by Antonio who had him in a bear-hug; while Francis began riffling through his things.

"Gum…I'll be taking that…God Gil, don't you have anything in here but schoolwork?" Sheets of paper littered the ground as Francis released them from their binders and threw them into the air.

"Stop! I need those; I already told you I don't have anything!" Gil struggled against Antonio as the wind created by the passing cars blew his notes and homework down the road. Finally he managed to slip one arm out of his assailant's firm grip, quickly thrusting the elbow behind him; hearing a satisfying 'crack' as it connected with Antonio's face. The arms around him fell away as Antonio's pained cry rang out and Gil quickly scurried away before he could be captured again. Romano immediately raced over to where Antonio crouched holding the lower half of his face, nearly bowling Gil over in his rush. Kneeling beside the Spaniard, Romano's Italian syllables rang loudly, concern mixing with the ever-present anger in his tone.

"Tony! Are you okay?" Using the distraction to pull himself together, Gil bent over, trying to gather what was left of his school work. A knee came into his line of vision, colliding with his chest before Gil had a chance to react. Gil was sent sprawling in the grass, gasping for the air that had been pummeled out of him. Looking up, he saw Francis looming over him, glancing up just in time to see the sole of his boot before it came crashing down on his nose. Gil cried out as his head whiplashed forcefully, feeling blood starting to trickle form his cheek and seeing droplets of the crimson liquid splatter on the grass. Gil turned back around to find the same foot coming down on his throat, cutting off the air he was still having trouble consuming due to the last blow. His hands come up to clutch and claw at the ankle connected to the foot that was slowly strangling him, managing a single choked word,

"Uhn…St…op…ugh…" Gil felt consciousness slipping away and almost felt glad; if the darkness consumed him, maybe there would not be so much pain. But as his eyes began rolling back into his head, the weight on Gil's windpipe suddenly vanished, leaving him coughing sporadically and gasping for breath. Above him now loomed, not Francis, but some different character in a tan jacket and purple scarf. Gil recognized the short sandy-blond hair and prominent nose as yet another classmate, though he knew little about him. His leg was lifted off the ground as if he had just kicked something and Gil figured that limb was what had kept Francis from killing him. The stranger's eyes came down to bore into his and Gil marveled at the odd hue; a deep lavender color. '_He's almost as weird-looking as I am…' _Bringing his foot back down to earth, Gil watched as a pleasant smile grew on the peculiar kid's face as he observed something behind Gil; as if he was watching an amusing TV show. Managing to lift himself into a sitting position, Gil rotated to see what was so entertaining. '_Holy shit!'_

Francis had been kicked clear into the middle of the street, causing a major pileup as cars swerved and came to sudden stops to avoid his flailing body. Car horns blared angrily as he slowly made his way to his feet, looking around in utter confusion as if he had absolutely no idea where he was. Recollection dawning in his terrified eyes, Francis began limping frantically back to the grassy portion he had been ejected from; all the other kids watching with different levels of shock and fear. Romano turned towards where the purple-eyed stranger stood, screaming,

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! You coulda killed him, you bastard! We're gonna beat that fucking smile right off your slimy litt-LMMF!" Antonio had run up behind Romano, clamping a hand over his cursing, screaming mouth and silencing the rude little freshman, yelling in a rushed Spanglish.

"No, Roma! El no puedes hablar como esto! Don't scream at him!" Romano brought his hands up to his face, struggling to remove the hand from his mouth, but Antonio just slipped his other arm around his companion's slim waist, backing slowly away from the still-smiling stranger; his eyes trained on him like he was watching a rabid dog that may attack at any moment. Francis had finally caught his breath; his hands leaning on his knees, his head in between them like people always say to do if you think you might pass out. Looking up from his hunched posture, Francis glared at the boy that had almost been the end of him. Although terror was etched into every one of his features, his voice was unnaturally calm when he spoke, addressing his two lackeys but his eyes never leaving the stranger.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." And with a few backwards glances, the trio ran off down the road, diving quickly into another clump of bushes and disappearing from Gil's view. Gil looked from where he sat on the ground at the mess of papers and binders that lay in disarray on the grass. Gathering what little schoolwork that the wind had not managed to blow away, Gil hastily stuffed the disorganized bundle back into his now rough-looking backpack. Violet eyes followed his every movement and Gil glanced up at the kid who had yet to say a single word, worry clouding his eyes. '_No matter how creepy he is, he did save me…'_

"Thank you." The two words were spoken wearily and Gil highly doubted that an answer would follow. As lavender eyes met blood-red, the stranger knelt down in front of where Gil still sat, a hand reaching across and wiping tears and blood from his face. Gil could not suppress a shiver as their skin made contact; the stranger's flesh was a few degrees lower than normal. '_So cold…'_ When he did finally grace the world with his voice, Gil could barely understand him through the thick Russian accent.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…I've had worse." Gil shuffled uneasily as the hand lingered on his face, the cool hand warming to their combined body heat. The pause lapsed into awkward silence as they sat there, the Russian kid never taking his eyes off of Gil's.

"What a pretty shade of red…" Gil shivered with revulsion as the stranger's thumb rubbed in a small circular motion around his cheek; his whisper barely heard over the car engines passing beside them.

"Okaaaaaay!" Gil scrambled away from the weirdo's touch and got hastily to his feet, picking up his nearly empty book-bag and throwing the worn and tattered fabric over his shoulder.

"Thanks again for the help, but I gotta go." Gil then set off down the road again, trying his hardest to disregard the odd feeling that he was being followed. Sandy hair and tan jacket flittered in Gil's peripheral vision and he whipped back around, annoyance evident on his face. Finding the Russian much too close – their faces inches apart – Gil flinched back, a cry of alarm escaping his lips.

"Woah! What the-?! Stop following me!"

"But what if you get jumped again? You barely look well enough to stand, let alone defend yourself; I think I'll walk you home." Gil bristled at the superior tone directed at him and turned angrily back around, shouting over his shoulder as he speed-walked away,

"I don't need your help; leave me alone!" But no matter how quickly he walked , the taller, more heavily built Russian matched his pace easily; stubborn and silent in his pursuit. Gil decided that the best course of action was to remain silent himself and he ignored his stalker completely; fixing his eyes on the grass in front of him.

Gil's house finally came into view and he made his way to the side door, eager to get inside, lie down, and forget this hell of a day. Hidden from the street by a line of large pines, Gil stood in the doorway, fumbling in his pocket for his keys.

"Damn…They must have fallen out when I was thrown on the ground…" Gil grumbled to himself, searching every pocket he had just in case and finding nothing. A hand was placed gently on his shoulder, making Gil yelp, jumping back at the unexpected touch. '_How the hell could I forget about him?!" _Turning slowly to face his new creeper, pushing the large hand away, Gil glared into those violet eyes, anger prominent in his furrowed brow.

"What. Do. You. Want?!"

"Are you locked out?"

"Yeah, but it's fine. Lud will be home from practice in an hour or so, and I'm hidden here; no possibility for another "jumping", as you call it. You can go home now." Gil's obvious hint was completely ignored as the Russian stared; his next words giving no inclination that he had heard Gil at all.

"Ivan." Gil raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Pardon?"

"That's my name. Ivan."

"Great. Go home, Ivan."

"It's common courtesy that when a name is given, you exchange one as well."

"…My names Gil."

"Short for Gilbert?" '_What is with this idiot?!' _A deep sigh accompanied the begrudging answer.

"Yes."

"Well, Gilbert, I have received no payment for my service to you."

"Huh? I said thank you; what more do you want? If I had any money, Francis would have-Hey! Back off; you're too close!" Ivan had taken a few steps forward, backing Gil up until he was cornered against the locked door; one of Ivan's hands coming to lean on the wall next to his head. Bringing their faces very close together, Ivan whispered; his warm breath blowing in Gil's face.

"You."

"Huh?!" Gil's eyes searched around frantically for a means of escape but found none.

"I want you." The trees hiding them from anyone who could be of any assistance; Gil was forced to rely on his own meager stores of power.

"Get…Off…Of…Me…You're so weird!" Each word was accented by a push to Ivan's chest as Gil tried in vain to put some distance between their bodies. Ivan took a hold of one of Gil's wrists, snapping it back to hit the wall behind them forcefully; pinning it to the sturdy surface. His other hand wrapped around Gil's neck, his thumb running lightly up a tensed muscle to the tip of his chin and back. Even though the pressure on his throat was not constricting this time, a pang of terror still ran down Gil's spine and he noticed Ivan's eyes had hardened slightly, though he was still smiling sweetly.

"I am quite accustomed to taking what I want, Gilbert."

"I don't know _what_ you want! You're making no sense-what the hell are you-Nfh!" Gil's eyes widened as Ivan's face got closer and closer, their lips meeting in Ivan's forceful embrace. After a few shocked and confused seconds Gil began struggling with renewed force as Ivan's lips worked against his. When he was finally allowed some air he, gasping for breath, brought his free hand up, hitting Ivan as hard as he could across the face. His fist made almost no impact, however; if anything it made Ivan's grip on his wrist and neck tighten. His face coming back around from where it had been snapped to the side, Ivan's grin was shockingly still in place, blood trickling out of one side. His violet eyes, however, contained all the fury of Hell. Gil could not suppress the shiver that convulsed through him at the sight.

"Like I said; I get what I want. And you are so very frail and weak…"

"Yeah, I'm sickly, but not gay. So…GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!"

"You don't have to be." And with that, the intrusive lips reattached themselves to Gil's, forcing his words of protest into muffled moans. After a few minutes of struggling, Ivan pushed his tongue into Gil's mouth, the copper taste of his blood mixing with their combined saliva. Desperate to get free, Gil clamped his jaw shut, catching Ivan's tongue between his teeth. A pained grunt escaped the mouth that had been smothering his own, the contact breaking as Ivan leaned away; becoming the one desperate to escape himself. But instead of letting go of Gil like he expected, the hand at his throat tightened with alarming force. Gil's mouth gaped open as he attempted to get his rattling breaths past the obstruction, freeing Ivan in the process. Ivan backed away, his smile now accented by rivulets of red running down his chin from the punch and bite Gil had delivered; making him look borderline satanic. With a light chuckle he leaned forward again, whispering in Gil's ear as his gurgled breathing became more labored.

"Being choked can have its pleasures. Would you like to find out?" All that could be made in Gil's voice box was the grunting gasps as the grip on his windpipe tightened even further. He was utterly confused by Ivan's statement, '_How could this possibly be pleasurable?!'_ but knew that he did not want it; whatever Ivan was about to do. Gil jumped as a hand slid down his stomach to his pants, attempting to undo the button holding them closed.

"Nnh…N-No!...Guh…" Lips were now running kisses along his jaw line, the hand strangling him loosening just enough to keep his from passing out. Fingers were finding their way under his boxers, inching slowly to their final destination. Unable to breath, unable to think, unable to fight, Gil froze; locking himself away and separating his consciousness from the situation.

"Gil?!" All movement stopped as the familiar voice sounded across the lawn. Gil opened his eyes, looking over Ivan's shoulder at his brother's shocked face.


	2. Chapter 2

Gil felt tears come to his eyes in embarrassment; the blood rushing to his face in what he was sure was a deep blush. Ivan rotated slightly to look at the new arrival, though he did not remove his hands. Even with the pressure still digging into his windpipe, Gil managed to speak, his voice shaky and strained.

"L…Lud…Plea-Nnh!" It felt as if Ivan was trying to sever his neck completely, the grip became so forceful. Darkness enveloped Gil's eyes as air was denied him altogether; though he knew they were still open. '_I'm dying…He's killing me…'_

A feral growl sounded and Ivan's weight was removed, leaving Gil to slide down the door to collapse on the ground, hands clutching at his neck as he fought for breath. Sounds of a struggle reached his ears, and by the time his vision returned and Gil could once again make out his surroundings, Ludwig had Ivan pinned to the ground; his lean muscles easily subduing the lankier boy (though compared to Gil, Ivan was rather bulky). Ludwig was sitting on Ivan's chest, his knees keeping the struggling arms at bay. He had fistfuls of Ivan's scarf and jacket and was shaking him violently, making his head connect with painful force to the ground with each movement. Ivan made not a sound as Ludwig screamed at him, timing his yells with each time Ivan's head hit the ground.

"What...In the _hell_…were you doing…to my brother?!" Gil had never seen Ludwig this out-of-control before and had to admit that it scared him a little. Bringing his fist high in the air, Ludwig sent it flying down onto Ivan's face; his blow having a far greater impact then Gil's. Standing to hover over the beaten boy, Ludwig said in a menacing whisper.

"If I ever see you touch Gil again, I'll finish the job." Ludwig's cleat then connected with Ivan's rib-cage, propelling his body to the side a few inches. Ivan got to his feet slowly, staring up at Ludwig through a swollen eye that would surely be a pretty shade of purple and green later. Gil was completely appalled by the kid's ability to smile no matter what his body was put through. One small chuckle escaped him as he calmly spoke.

"It will take much more than that to hurt me. And how ironic; the person who abandoned Gilbert inflicting damage on his savior, and then having the gall to think himself righteous in doing so." Ludwig simply stared; confusion barely noticeable under the searing rage. With one last look at Gil, who was still sitting against the door, Ivan turned and left, showing no visible signs of discomfort from his beating. After a few minutes of watching him leave, Ludwig was finally convinced that he would not return. Turning hurriedly to Gil, he ran across the distance separating them and knelt in front of his brother.

"What happened, Gil? How badly did he hurt you?" His eyes ran over Gil's bloody nose, his hand still clutching the angry red marks that wound around his neck.

"My God, you look terrible."

"Gee. Thanks. What are you doing home so early anyway?" Gil's voice was hoarse; his words followed by a series of rattling coughs.

"Practice was cut short due to Alfred breaking his leg. Coach had to take him to the hospital." Ludwig put a hand gently on Gil's chin, tilting it up so he could examine the marks. Anger was radiating off of him in waves, his next sentence shaking with fury.

"That's it. I'm hunting him down tomorrow; after seeing this, I would really to beat him some more." Gil was confused by his impulse to defend Ivan; even if it was just a little.

"…He didn't do all of it, Lud. Francis got to me first…"

"Are you serious?! What is with those guys? So you escaped from Frenchy just to have him jump you at home? Why didn't you just run inside?" Gil pushed Ludwig's hand away and got to his feet; embarrassment and anger at his own weakness boiling inside of him.

"You've got it wrong. Ivan saved me from Francis – nearly killing him in the process – then followed me home. I had dropped my house key somewhere and was waiting for you to get home to let me in. That's when he got…weird."

"So that's what he meant by 'savior'…Weird is right. Why would he choke someone he went to the trouble of protecting?" Gil looked down at his feet uncomfortably, not sure how to answer. Silence lapsed and, curious about his brother's sudden quietness, Gil looked back up at Ludwig. He was staring with wide, unbelieving eyes at Gil and, following his gaze, he looked down at himself; his own eyes widening. His pants were still undone from Ivan's attack – the fabric almost falling down – and Gil hastened to refasten them. Desperate for a subject change, Gil looked off to the side, mumbling softly,

"So do you have your keys or not? I'd like to go in."

"…Yeah..." Gil stepped out of the way so Ludwig could unlock the door, more than aware of his brother's questioning, side-long glances. Once the door finally opened, Gil immediately speed walked to his bedroom; closing the door with a reassuring _click_. Staring unseeingly at the orderly room, Gil surprised himself by lashing out a fist and punching the wall; all of his pent up anger at himself and his attackers erupting in that one strike. His full strength was weak at best, however, and his hand ended up being the only thing injured in his outburst. The stress of the day finally taking hold of him, Gil slid down the wall to sit, his knees huddled to his chest, his face buried in his arms. An overwhelming sense of shame and self-loathing consumed him as he attempted to forget the day's events.


	3. Chapter 3

_I just want to start this chapter off with an apology. This fic started off as a request from a friend of mine for some...brotherly love. I'm very sorry if this incest offends you (I'm not sure how I feel about it) But i promise, it won't last long. I could not betray my favorite pairing completely and this _is_ definitely an IvanXGil fic. This peer-pressured and manipulated author apologizes profusely :p_

A knock sounded at his door as Gil huddled over a book, his eyes staring unmovingly and uncomprehendingly at its contents. Ludwig's voice sounded from the other side of the door; slightly muffled by the wood and plaster separating them.

"Gil? Can I come in?" Gil gave no reply and, after a few moments of silence, Ludwig opened the door; poking his head in hesitantly.

"Gil? I think we need to talk." Gil ignored him, pretending to read and praying he would catch the hint and leave. His prayers remained unanswered as Ludwig made his way across the room to where Gil sat in his bed, sitting on a pillow with his back leaning on the headboard; the book propped up on his thighs. Ludwig sat on the edge of the mattress looking at his brother with extreme worry written on his face. Getting no response or acknowledgment from Gil, he continued speaking.

"Now, I've left you alone all weekend, but we go back to school tomorrow. What are you going to do?" Gil finally looked up from his book, a confused expression on his face.

"Go to school, same as always. What else would I do?" A pause was given as Ludwig struggled with what to say next. Finally he just decided to be upfront, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

"You're not going to report Ivan for…what he did?"

"Why just Ivan? I've never reported any of the other guys. I can handle it; it's okay, Lud."

"I think you know what I mean. What Ivan did wasn't just simple violence, was it? It was something worse." Gil fixed his eyes back on the pages in front of him, an angry feeling whose source he could not place fighting its way into his tone.

"I'm fine! Just forget about it. I can take care of myself."

"You call that 'taking care' of yourself?! And what about the next time it happens and I don't come home early to stop that bastard? Will you just lay back and let him have his way with you?!"

"SHUT UP!" Gil was panting, his body convulsing involuntarily. He was staring into Ludwig's sapphire eyes, fear shining in his own. Ludwig's expression softened as he realized just how traumatized his brother really was.

"Shut up…" Gil's anger was dissolving, leaving only shame and terror in its place. Large arms wrapped around him and Gil allowed himself to be pulled across the bed and into his brother's embrace. Not reacting at first, after a few minutes of silent hugging, Gil gave in – burying his face in Ludwig's shoulder – his hands clutching his brother's shirt with a desperate force. Ludwig's voice made its way to Gil's ear.

"If I quit football, the other guys will kill me, so I can't walk you home anymore; but I think it's time you learned to protect yourself anyway." Gil's frustration flared back up at Ludwig's tone and he pushed his brother away with an angry grunt.

"I can take care of myself, how many times do I have to say it before you'll believe me?"

"How many times do you have to say it before it's not a lie?" Gil hated how direct and harsh Ludwig could be at times like these.

"Well, either way, you can't quit the team; you love football. Stop worrying about me so much."

"And let anybody do anything they want to you? That's not happening."

"Fine. What do you propose we do?"

"Well, do you know the Japanese representative at the school? He could teach you some martial arts."

"…Doesn't martial arts take strength?"

"Not necessarily. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Yeah, I guess. Anything is worth trying at this point."

"Alright." Ludwig started to stand, but stopped halfway, sitting back down and turning to face Gil again; a question on his lips.

"I was kind of shocked that you were so traumatized by what that asshole did. How is what Ivan did any different from what we sometimes try?" Gil looked disbelievingly at his brother; appalled by his reasoning.

"So just because we sometimes mess around when we're bored means that I should be okay with just anyone groping me?!"

"Well…When you put it like that…"

"What the hell were you thinking? And besides, what we do is barely an extension of masturbation, there's no insertion; I'm pretty sure Ivan was looking for more than just a hand-job…" Gil shuddered at the thought of something actually entering him; fear pulsing though him at the notion.

"I am _not_ gay." A teasing smile came to Ludwig's face and he leaned in close, a hand coming up to run through Gil's wispy hair.

"Are you sure? You seem to enjoy yourself quite a bit when I touch you." Gil glared back, trying to quash his amusement.

"Yeah, dipshit, that's why we do it; because it feels good. But the difference between you and Ivan is that I've known you for sixteen years. I had known that purple-eyed weirdo for sixteen minutes before he started man-handling me. It's creepy."

"Like you're one to talk, Mr. Albino-bunny-eyes." Gil chuckled a little at his own hypocrisy, but even in a joking manner the incident resurfaced; the memory of struggling to breathe, lips running down his jaw-line, making Gil's eyes cloud and body shiver. Ludwig, noticing the change in mood, placed both of his hands on either side of Gil's face, snapping him out of his fearful trance.

"It'll be okay, Gil. I promise." Gil simply shook his head, averting his eyes to hide the doubt that lurked in them. He glanced back up just as Ludwig's lips met his own; his eyes widening then closing as the familiar sensation lulled him. He always felt safe in his brother's arms; his embrace holding none of the forceful aggression that Ivan's had. '_His lips were colder…more firm…wait. What the hell am I doing comparing these two?!'_ Gil pushed Ludwig gently away just as his brother attempted to implement his tongue; the trauma not yet settled enough to allow him to go any farther. Looking down at the blanket that still covered his legs, Gil mumbled an apology.

"It's okay. You've been through a lot, I get it. Not tonight." And, with one last reassuring smile, Ludwig got up and strolled out the door, closing it softly behind him. Gil closed his book, knowing he would not be able to concentrate and turned off his bed-side lamp; sinking deeper into the covers, hoping sleep would take him quickly.

...

"Ivan! Stop!" Gil was fighting with all his strength against the larger boy, but having about as much success as last time. Looking down, he discovered that, unlike last time, they were both completely naked. '_Where the hell are my clothes?!'_ Eyes darting frantically from side to side, Gil saw nothing but black, he could not even tell if he was floating or laying on a surface; all he could feel was Ivan's cold hands roughly caressing his body.

"Wait! Don't touch me there! St-Stop!" no response was given; instead Ivan began kissing Gil, smothering him into silence. Finally breaking the contact, Ivan backed his face away and stared into Gil's as he brought the panting boy closer and closer to release. Just before he came, Gil saw Ivan's lips mouth his name, but instead of his rustic, Russian accent, it was the German syllables of his brother that found its way to Gil's ears.

"Gil…Gil…" _'Ivan never once called me Gil. What is happening?!'_ But just then the waves of ecstasy crashed over Gil, forcing all thought out of his mind.

"Gil! Wake up!" Gil's eyes snapped open, his body reanimating with a surprised start. Adjusting slowly to the darkness, the first thing he saw were his brother's concerned, blue eyes. Panting heavily, he looked around to make sure they were the only ones in the room, collapsing back onto his pillows when no Ivan was found lurking in a corner. His heart-rate slowly returning to a healthier speed, Gil looked around for his alarm clock, shocked to find that it was only 23:34. Ludwig leaned over, studying Gil's face.

"I heard you screaming all the way from my room, it seemed like you were having a nightmare. But then I noticed that…" Ludwig glanced pointedly down at where Gil's erection was creating a tent in the covers and Gil felt his face flush in embarrassment.

"What was the dream about?"

"It...I-I don't remember…"

"You were calling Ivan's name over and over…"

"I said I _don't remember!_" Ludwig leaned in close, whispering into Gil's ear; hearing the lie in his brother's statements.

"Does that creeper turn you on?" Gil's eyes widened in shocked rage at the blunt question.

"Hell no! How could you say something like tha-Mmf! Ludwig had reached forward, taking Gil's face in his hands and kissing him deeply; cutting off his angry words. Fingers inched under the covers, running down Gil's stomach and to the edge of his boxers. Another sentence was whispered against Gil's lips.

"Would you like me to get you off?"

"Wait a second, I-Nnh! Ah, Lud!" Years of practice meant that both boys knew exactly where to touch the other, Ludwig's hand bringing Gil to climax faster than he could himself. Ludwig began kissing and nipping at his neck; Gil reaching out and pulling down Lud's own pajama pants to return the favor. Finding it already somewhat hard and moist, it did not take long before Ludwig was panting just as hard from the other's touch as his brother. The combination of the effects of his dream and his sibling's movements sent Gil over the top much sooner than usual, his body locking up as pleasure crashed into him. He collapsed back onto the bed, unable to think clearly as he came down from the high. Ludwig came to tower over him, grabbing Gil's wrist and placing his hand back on the member he had abandoned in his climax.

"Gil…I'm not finished yet…" his brother panted breathlessly in his ear.

"Right…Sorry." Gil began pumping again, stimulating Ludwig in what he knew were all the right places; assured that he was doing well by the heated grunts sounding in his ear. Ludwig finished quite a while later, a warm splatter landing on Gil's chest and abdomen. The two boys then collapsed side-by-side on the soiled bedclothes; Gil's breathing finally returning to normal as Ludwig attempting to control his own. Looking around at the sweaty mess surrounding them, Gil muttered with mild annoyance.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna have to wash my sheets again…I say we clean ourselves up and sleep in your room tonight, Lud; I can take care of this tomorrow." An angry grunt answered.

"Why bother? With the way you reacted to the mere thought of that Russian bastard, Ivan will be in here, dirtying them right back up for you." Gil turned to where Ludwig was laying on his stomach beside him; noticing for the first time the anger burning in his blue eyes.

"Where the hell did that come from?"

"Isn't it obvious? You dream about him – scream his name in your sleep – and are so horny when you wake up that it only takes me two minutes to get you off. You are most definitely attracted to that Russian bastard, so stop lying to yourself and me." Gil got up from the bed, staring down at his brother with fire in his ruby-red eyes. Struggling to find an argument and failing miserably, Gil stammered for a few seconds before storming out of the room. His parting words were cold and venomous.

"Never mind. I'll clean myself up and take the couch. Lie there all night and reek tomorrow for all I care."


	4. Chapter 4

Gil awoke to the sound of the shower turning on. Looking around for his alarm-clock, momentary confusion rolled over him as he slowly realized he was not in his room. Memories from last night's dream and fight suddenly flashed through Gil's brain, answering the question of why he was sprawled out on the couch. Getting stiffly to his feet and stretching the kinks out of his joints, Gil made his way groggily to his bedroom for a fresh change of clothes. After throwing on a pale blue t-shirt and jeans, he gathered up the rancid sheets, walking briskly to the laundry room and quickly depositing them into the washer; feeling absolutely no regret in disrupting Ludwig's shower. '_How dare he say that! Of course I'm not attracted to Ivan…and even if I was, it's none of his business who I like. He's my brother; he cannot be getting jealous!'_ Rushing through the morning routine, Gil hastened out the door; not wishing to speak to the person still in the restroom.

"Alright, Gil. This is Kiku. He's here to teach you not to be such a pussy." Angry glares were exchanged at this statement; neither brother having forgotten the night before, nor had they spoken of it since. But Ludwig had flagged Gil down despite the animosity boiling between them, introducing him to the quiet Asian by his side. Kiku was glancing from one sibling to the other; an almost scared look on his face. Quietly and timidly, he spoke.

"I am sensing much…tension in this atmosphere…" Ludwig turned to the small boy, clasping a hand on his slender shoulder and making his sway.

"Don't worry, Kiku, that'll go away once I'm gone. Have fun, you two, I gotta go to practice." Kiku muttered a farewell as Ludwig strolled away, Gil remaining silent until his brother was out of earshot. An awkward silence lapsed as Gil's simmering temper kept him from being sociable; Kiku seemed to be this way naturally. Calming somewhat, Gil found his voice and attempted to pick up a conversation.

"So…I was told you could teach me some martial arts…For a master, you don't look very strong-" Gil's face was slammed up against the brick wall of the school building before his eyes even registered movement. Kiku has a hold of his wrist, but was twisting the joint in a way that sent pain lashing up Gil's arm to his shoulder and neck. A whisper sounded behind Gil.

"One does not need strength when they possess technique and a knowledge of human anatomy." With that, the pressure on Gil's joints was released and he turned to face Kiku again, rubbing his throbbing arm.

"Now what types of holds do you wish to escape from?"

"Well…kids here seem to have issues with my neck…" Memories of Francis's foot nearly killing him and Ivan's subduing made Gil shudder involuntarily.

"Okay, come over here and choke me and I'll show you how to get out of it." Gil stepped hesitantly over to where Kiku stood, looking innocent with his slender face and short stature. Gil wrapped his hands around the delicately thin neck, applying as little pressure as possible in order to prevent injury to the frail-looking boy.

"…In order to demonstrate the technique properly, I am going to need a little bit more force on your part…"

"But I don't want to hurt yo-…" Gil's voice trailed away at the annoyed expression on Kiku's face, his eyes rolling once then connecting with Gil's, all but screaming "C'mon. Really?!" Deciding that this kid was asking for it, and it would not be his fault if he hurt him, Gil tightened his grasp, feeling Kiku's pulse against his palms. A choked laugh escaped his restricted throat and Kiku smiled for the first time.

"Much better, now watch closely." About a millisecond later, Gil was on the ground, Kiku's kneecap digging into his side.

"Now choke me again, but not at full power, and I'll break it down for you." Kiku said as he helped Gil to his feet. Even more hesitantly than before, Gil placed his hands at Kiku's throat, his fingers curling around warm flesh. In a flash, Gil's left arm was shot up into the air; Kiku's arm coming up form below and striking in an upward sweep.

"This is called a 'high block'. It is meant to deflect attacks on the upper body. Twisting your hips and allowing your whole body to flow with the upward movement adds momentum and power to your strike, where it would otherwise be weak and ineffective." Kiku then pivoted his body to a forty-five degree angle to Gil, bringing the arm that was high blocking down on Gil's other arm, his elbow connecting painfully with the inside of Gil's own. Simultaneously, his other hand came up to grip the wrist connected to the hand around his neck, keeping it in place as Gil's arm bent at an odd angle, throwing him off balance.

"This elbow strike is meant to break what's left of your opponent's hold, throwing them completely off-center in the process." His hand gripping Gil's in a strange way, making it completely useless, Kiku then yanked Gil forwards, right into the elbow he had aimed at his neck.

"The momentum of your already-off-balance attacker is what gives this move all its power. I am merely placing my elbow in front of your neck; it is your own bodyweight that makes you collide so forcefully with it as you stumble forward."

"That's amazing…" Gil muttered in awe as Kiku released him and backed away; a composed and serine look on his face.

"I'm not going to teach you the take-down portion of this self-defense due to your inexperience, but would you like to try what I've shown you?"

"Yeah!" Gil said earnestly, eager to try what Kiku had made to appear so effortless. Stepping forward, Kiku placed his hands around Gil's throat, the grip sturdy but not completely restricting.

"High block first, right?"

"Yes, and remember to include your whole body; not just the arm doing the block." With a curt nod, Gil attempted the movement, trying to rotate his hips as he had seen Kiku do but finding it difficult. Shooting his arm up with all his strength, he managed to break Kiku's flimsy hold on his neck, sending the unresisting arm up with his own.

"Good, good. Not bad for a first attempt." Gaining confidence from the praise, Gil, remembering the next step, brought his high block down on Kiku's other arm; his strike not having the same balance-disrupting effect that Kiku's had. A puzzled look on his face, Gil tried to figure out what he was doing wrong.

"Bring your elbow down on the joint of my arm; that's what makes it bend in that awkward way." Adjusting his position, Gil did as he was told, his face lighting up as Kiku was sent lurching forward as his arm bent to Gil's strike.

"You forgot to grip my other arm; that's essential to the next step." Correcting his mistake, Gil grabbed Kiku's wrist, though the way he held it had none of the magical, manipulative powers his teacher seemed to possess. But that did not matter much as the step called for a simple pull of the arm, and Gil had no trouble yanking as Kiku had done, though he had noticed his opponent had done something with his feet that Gil had not quite caught. Gil brought his elbow within an inch of Kiku's neck, releasing his grip with a confident smile on his face.

"That's so simple! I can totally do that the next time those bastards try something." In his excitement, Gil failed to notice the annoyed expression on Kiku's face.

"Do you seriously believe that? After doing the technique once?"

"Yeah! It wasn't that bad, much easier than I thought it would be, actually." Kiku's hands were around his throat before Gil had a chance to react. Unlike the time before, his grasp was crushing and unbreakable; and Gil found himself, once again, unable to breath. Being pushed back against the brick wall behind them, all thought of the moves he had learned vanished in the panic that ensued. Clawing at the arms that had become so inexplicably violent, Gil tried to speak, the only thing escaping him being gurgling choking sounds. Kiku stared into his eyes as his fingertips dug deeper into Gil's flesh.

"What happened to that cocky attitude of yours, _baka_?" When no reply was given, Kiku continued.

"It takes repetition and dedication to master a technique well enough to use in battle. Now, I'm more than willing to teach you, but you have to reign in that swollen head of yours if you don't wish to get pummeled. Have I made myself clear?" Gil shook his head frantically, desperate to get out of Kiku's iron grip. The pressure finally gone from his windpipe, Gil clutched at his chest, willing the oxygen to enter his lungs faster.

"Now, let's run through it again." Kiku said calmly as he lunged forward.

By the time Ludwig finished football practice and made his way back to the spot he had left Kiku and Gil in to train, the sun had dropped quite a way in the darkening sky; bathing the surroundings in the deep red hue of sunset. Making his way over to the pair, Ludwig noticed they were still drilling techniques. Ludwig stood a good ways off to watch his brother's progress. What he saw surprised him a great deal. Kiku would step forward and grab his neck with what looked like a painful force and, in a series of lightning-fast movements, Gil had an elbow digging into his opponent's throat, throwing Kiku completely off balance. After watching the same event repeat itself over and over for a few minutes, Ludwig strolled over to the two boys, speaking as he walked.

"That looked really sharp; good job, Kiku." Gil and Kiku both turned to face Ludwig as they were made aware of his arrival.

"Well, it should be sharp, we've done nothing but run this technique since you left." Kiku said as Gil released him form the end-result of the drill, Ludwig's eyes widened a little at the statement.

"Really? You did nothing but that set for three and a half hours?"

"Yes, and he still needs work on it." Gil just stood back and listened; if they wanted to be rude and talk about him like he was not there, who was he to stop them? Assessing his body, Gil knew for sure he would wake up stiff in the morning; his muscles were screaming at him in exhaustion, bruises throbbing on his neck and arms. Absorbed as he was in his aches and pains, Gil was unaware of Ludwig's voice calling his name; a hand on his shoulder snapping him back to reality.

"Gil!"

"Huh? What?"

"I said, how are you feeling about all of this?" Ludwig spoke slowly, as if addressing someone slightly retarded. Gil pushed his hand away, backing up and snapping hotly,

"Fine. Like Kiku said, it still needs work."

"Well, it looked like you knew what you were doing, to me." The praise did little to improve Gil's mood and he grunted his acknowledgment to the compliment.

"And if you're here training every day after school, you don't have to walk home by yourself, so that solves that issue as well."

"Yup. Speaking of home, I'd really like to take a shower so can we get going?" Ludwig gave Gil an odd look as his anger persisted. '_He's always gotten over fights quickly, what's up with him?'_ Then Ludwig remembered the source of the fight. '_Maybe I hit more of a nerve than I thought with the Ivan thing…'_ Saying goodbye to Kiku, Gil set off across the grass to the road that would lead them home, not even bothering to check if Ludwig was behind him.

The hot water stung as Gil stepped into the shower. His sore muscles relaxing to the heat, Gil rested his forehead against the cool tile. Worry was slowly consuming him and he was starting to get headaches from his brow being furrowed all the time. Yes, the lesson with Kiku had helped his confidence, but no amount of martial arts could erase the fear Ivan injected in Gil every time they met.

The day had been a very stressful one thanks to that idiot. Gil had no classes with his Russian stalker, but Ivan had followed him to every period, staying stubbornly by his side no matter how much Gil had screamed at him to get lost. At lunch time, where he usually sat by himself, Gil was now forced into Ivan's company; the boy following him like a shadow no matter where he sat. The only plus-side to this mental torture was that Francis and the gang could no longer harass Gil outside of classes; their fear of Ivan keeping them at bay. He did, however, have a few classes with Francis, but had no problems ignoring his jibes and insults; the presence of the teacher allowing for no real violence.

But all of these factors equaled out to a very occupied mind as Gil subconsciously lathered up some soap and began bathing himself. '_And after all of this shit, I still have Lud to worry about when I come home. What am I going to do about him?...'_ Gil had been receiving signs from his brother suggesting that what Gil thought of as "barely an extension of masturbation" may mean more to Ludwig; and that scared Gil a great deal. '_I feel like I should cut it off before it gets any more…confusing.'_ But Gil had no idea how Ludwig would react, or if he would ever talk to Gil again if their relationship went back to the way it had been before the boys had hit puberty. _'Gah! I don't know what to do!'_ Gil banged his head against the wall in frustration, a loud cracking sound echoing around the confined space as his headache worsened.

"This sucks…"


	5. Chapter 5

It was a few days after Gilbert's first lesson with Kiku and Lud was sitting in study hall with Veneziano, a bubbly little scatter brain that had surprisingly become one of Lud's best friends. Yes, he could be annoying sometimes, his baby-like features and shrill, soprano voice with a thick Italian accent making his presence loud and hyper, but Lud had become accustomed to it and even began enjoying his classmate's company. Like Gilbert, Veneziano was always getting pushed around by other kids, the small boy running to hide behind Lud whenever a threat arose. Lud did not mind though, sometimes he felt he was meant to protect beings smaller than himself, but the way Veneziano sometimes clung to him, made the more masculine teenager rather uncomfortable. At the moment, Veneziano was prattling away about something and Lud was trying his best to listen; thoughts of Gilbert barging into his head and distracting him. A small finger poking him in the arm brought Lud back to the conversation; Veneziano asking with concern in his voice.

"Are you okay? Lud looks sad…" Lud could not help but smile at the child-like tone and large, light brown eyes his friend possessed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry; problems with my brother have me stressed. What were you saying, Venny?" An uncharacteristically serious look came to Veneziano's features.

"Are you guys fighting again?" The way he said that sentence, his now-intense gaze boring into Lud's, suggested that he knew more about Gilbert and Lud's relationship than he possibly could have. '_Venny is so strange when it comes to conversations about Gil…but how could he have guessed? It's nearly impossible…'_

"…Yeah, this is the longest fight we've ever had. He usually gets over it by now…"

"What's he mad about?" A pause followed as Lud puzzled over how much to tell Veneziano.

"Well, this guy's harassing him, and I think it may be that bastard's way of coming on to Gil. I tried to help him, but he's too damn stubborn; keeps saying he "can handle it himself"."

"Is it Ivan?" Lud turned slowly to gape at Veneziano.

"How did you know?!" Veneziano looked up at him with clueless, innocent eyes.

"Um, I have first lunch and I've seen Ivan tailing Gil for a few days now. Gil didn't seem too happy about it at first, but it looks like he's getting used to him being around. Now they just sit in a corner and talk." Anger flared in Lud at these words.

"Godammit! I wish I had first lunch! Why wo-"

"Ludwig! Watch the language and volume!" Mrs. Cardwell, the study hall teacher, interjected sternly.

"Sorry, ma'am." Forced to quash his rage, Lud continued in a whisper.

"Why won't he let me pummel that creep?!" Veneziano looked down at the two-person desk they shared, muttering cautiously.

"Maybe he doesn't want your help with Ivan because he wants him around…" Fear flashed through Veneziano's wide eyes as he looked up into blue orbs filled with venomous hatred.

"Is Lud…jealous?" Lud's heart skipped a beat; going into overdrive when it finally began pumping again. He felt the blood flush his face as his dry throat fought for the words that would keep his and Gilbert's secret. The bell signifying the end of the class sounded and Ludwig took the opportunity to gather his things and make his escape. With a rushed "See ya" to Veneziano, he nearly sprinted out the door.

….

"Alright guys, get to the locker room!" Lud wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, a sheen of sweat transferring from his heated face to the cloth of his wristband. As he headed back to the school building, Veneziano fell into step beside him, looping an arm around Lud's and beaming up at him goofily. Lud had been startled to discover this slender, breakable-looking boy had signed up for football, where shattered shines and blatant violence was a common occurrence. But all worry had vanished after the first practice. Veneziano danced around the field; dodging gracefully and effortlessly around opponents. The ball glided between his feet with such precision it looked as if it was moving to a silent mental command and not the force of his kicks. Lud, the goalie, could only stare in amazement during games as his friend weaved from side to side in a confusing yet captivating rhythm away from him and towards the opposite goal. But, as soon as practice ended, Veneziano snapped right back into an uncoordinated goofball of a kid and Lud wondered daily why his weak little friend could not transfer some of that grace and cunning into his dealings with bullies.

Of course, the main trio of tyrants – Francis, Antonio and Romano – never bothered him; Romano being his younger brother. But Arthur and Alfred, the British and American representatives at the school, enjoyed pushing him around when Ludwig was not around.

A few new kids on the team that did not know Veneziano well threw odd looks in his direction as he clung to Lud like a date going to prom; the majority of the students, however, just ignored it, knowing that he was overly-affectionate and would do that to just about anyone. Lagging behind the others, the pair walked in silence; and when Lud looked down he noticed that Veneziano had a serious expression on his face, his brow furrowed in a peculiar way that did not befit his innocent face. Quietly, he spoke.

"It's unhealthy, you know."

"Huh?"

"Doing that kind of thing with Gil; it's not healthy." Lud backed suddenly away from Veneziano, breaking the hold on his arm. Looking around to make sure no was within earshot, he turned on the other boy.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Veneziano cringed at the violent tone.

"I-I can see from the way you look at him…that Lud has feelings for his brother…and the way you get jealous of Ivan is proof…no good can come of that…" The last sentence was barely a whisper; quickly overpowered by Lud's much stronger yell.

"You don't know _anything_! That is the exact _opposite_ of the truth! Why do you care who I like, anyway?!" And with that defensive shout and angry roll of the eyes, Lud set off for the locker rooms; leaving Veneziano standing alone on the lawn, fighting back the tears welling in his eyes. In a shaky whisper, Veneziano answered Lud's question to no one in particular.

"Because I love you."

…

"So where do you go after school now? You don't walk home by yourself anymore." Gil nearly choked on his sandwich at the unexpected question. He and Ivan were sitting in their usual lunch corner; Gil eating while Ivan just sat, he never had a lunch, nor did he ever buy one.

"Nowhere; just hanging out with a friend. Are you sure you don't want an orange? I pack two of something every day just in case you decide to show at least one sign that you're human and eat something."

"Who?" Gil's efforts to divert Ivan to a less awkward topic of conversation had failed once again.

"…Kiku." A sly smile spread over Ivan's face at the confession.

"And what have you been doing with that Asian, huh? You know, if you're giving yourself to another man, I'm going to have to stop being so patient in my dealings with you. I haven't touched you in quite some time." Inching closer as he said this, Ivan gripped Gil's chin roughly in one chilled, calloused hand, jerking the unexpecting boy's face around to where it was inches from his own. Gil shifted his eyes around the courtyard, checking to see if anyone was watching; relieved to find they were being completely ignored as always. Focusing on Ivan again, Gil began struggling.

"Let _go_ of me! We're at school!" Bringing their faces even closer, Ivan asked with a smile that did not reach his violet eyes.

"Are you seeing him today?" Gil felt his face flush under Ivan's scrutiny.

"Of course; it's an everyday thing."

"What are you doing with him?"

"Studying." It was not technically a lie.

"Cancel your plans with him for today. I want to be with you." Gil's eyes widened; his blush deepening. Pushing against Ivan's chest, he raised his voice indignantly.

"Why the hell would I want to do that?!" Ivan's smile widened with his reply.

"Unless you want me to continue right now; I really don't care about anyone around us seeing." With that, Ivan wrapped a hand around Gil's waist, forcing him closer. Desperate to get this maniac off of him – people were starting to stare at the scene they were creating – Gil hastily agreed.

"Fine, Fine! I'll cancel with Kiku; but only for today, got it?" Receiving the answer he wanted, Ivan released his hold on Gil; the shaken boy returning to his lunch. Looking down at his half-eaten sandwich – the reality of what he had just agreed to hitting him like a ton of bricks – Gil found his appetite had deserted him. Ivan leaned back against the school building, a gleeful smile on his face.

…

"I'm sorry, Kiku, I can't train with you today, but I'll work twice as hard tomorrow to make up for it." Gilbert bowed deeply as Honda had taught him; showing the proper respect to his teacher. When Gilbert straightened his back, Honda noticed he looked extremely worried about something; it was almost a look of terror. Gilbert refused to meet his eye, keeping his gaze trained on the grass at his feet.

"That's alright; we can postpone training a day. But I feel obligated to ask; is something wrong? You look…troubled." Gilbert's answer was a barely-audible mumble.

"No, I'm fine. See you tomorrow."

"Okay…bye." Honda watched as Gilbert made his way slowly to the road leading to his house; his shoulders sagging and feet dragging in the dirt. Just as he was about to disappear from view, another figure joined him. Honda squinted; trying to ascertain the stranger's identity from the great distance. Tan jacket and purple scarf caught his eye. '_That's got to be Ivan.'_ Honda pondered why Gilbert would cancel his martial arts training to spend time with the person he was trying to defend against in the first place. Watching closely, he saw Ivan move closer to Gilbert; the other boy flinching away only to be grabbed by the arm and forced to accept the close proximity. _'I must tell Lud!'_

Honda ran to the football field as fast as he could, cutting across the crowded field and attracting many stares; the practice freezing as he made his way to the goalie. Panting slightly, Honda took a few minutes to catch his breath; Ludwig staring down at him with an astonished expression. Straightening back to his flawless posture, Honda spoke with the most urgency he could remember expressing.

"Lud, something is wrong."

"Huh? What is it? Where's Gil?" At this point, a hazel-haired boy came to stand next to Ludwig; his name escaping Honda's memory due to its complexity and length. '_I think it started with a 'V'…maybe…'_

"What's wrong, Lud?" His wide, innocent eyes looked up at Ludwig with mild concern.

"I don't know; what _is_ wrong, Kiku?" Honda rushed into his explanation, feeling there was not much time to waste.

"Gil cancelled training today and he looked terrible. Very stressed. I saw him meet someone – it was far away so I couldn't really tell who – and I think it was Ivan. Gil didn't seem happy with his company…" Instead of the shocked, protective response Honda expected, Ludwig simply looked down at the boy at his side; his expression hardening. Meeting Honda's eye again, Ludwig bluntly stated.

"If Gil wants to spend his time with that freak, who am I to stop him?" Honda could not believe the sudden change in his friend's attitude; the Ludwig he knew had always had a bit of a brother-complex.

"That's just it; I don't think he _wants_ to. He did _not_ look happy." The volume and pitch of Honda's voice rose steadily as he tried to talk sense into Ludwig; worry building in his chest every minute they were not searching for Gilbert. Ludwig's reply was emotionless and cold.

"He wouldn't make time for someone he didn't want to be around."

"Oh, really?! So you wouldn't think Ivan capable of black mail or threats? There's a reason people don't like him, Lud, and it's because he's pushy and manipulative. Now I don't know what's gotten into your head to keep you from caring about your own brother, but I'm going to go look for him before he gets hurt!" Honda's usually calm demeanor had vanished, leaving an angry, screaming boy he did not even recognize in its wake. When Ludwig did not say anything, his eyes staring at Honda as if he had sprouted two additional heads, Honda gave an annoyed huff; turning and running back the way he had come. '_If I had known that would be Ludwig's reaction, I would have just went after Gil myself and not even bothered with him.'_

Lud stared after Kiku as he disappeared from sight, turning back to face Veneziano with a torn expression. His brow furrowing, Veneziano said quietly.

"What I said earlier was just a suggestion. If Lud's brother is in danger and Lud ignores it because of what I said, I don't think I would ever forgive myself…"

"Kiku did have a good point with the blackmail theory." Suddenly, the football coach made his way over, seeming rather annoyed with all the commotion.

"Is something wrong here?" He barked angrily.

"…Yeah, family emergency. I gotta go." And with one last glance at Veneziano, Lud took off after Kiku to find his brother.


	6. Chapter 6

"So this is my home." Ivan said, unlocking the door and letting Gil inside the large estate. Gil drew his coat around him even tighter as the temperature dropped a drastic amount.

"Sheesh. Don't you have heat in this place?"

"We like it cold." Gil glanced quizzingly at Ivan.

"We?"

"BROTHEEEEER!" The joyous cry echoed around the spacious foyer room as a figure flashed quickly into view. A girl with dirty blond, shoulder-length hair was latched onto Ivan in an instant; hugging him tightly. A look of boredom and mild agitation befell Ivan's features, the smile drooping somewhat as the air was squeezed out of him. Pushing the enthusiastic girl away gently, Ivan turned her to face Gil.

"This is my sister. Katyusha, this is Gilbert." Stepping forward, Katyusha took Gil's hand in both of hers, exclaiming excitedly.

"Hi! I'm Katyusha, but you can call me Kat. I don't know why my little brother is so obsessed with using full names." Gil saw Ivan roll his eyes in the background.

"Um…hi. I'm Gil." Gil was finding it rather difficult to focus on Kat's face; she was well-endowed to say the least. '_My God, what humongous boobs…'_ Gil felt his face flushing and quickly looked away, thinking of anything he could to distract himself.

"Welcome home, brother." An eerie whisper sounded from some hidden corner of the house and Gil looked around; searching for the being capable of such a terrifying voice. Moving faster than Gil had ever seen him do before, Ivan grabbed Gil's hand; wrenching his other from Katyusha's grasp and yanking him across the room. Gil's heart skipped a beat at the contact; he could not stop staring at their entwined fingers even as he was made to run up a seemingly endless flight of stairs. '_I didn't react like this when his sister grabbed my hand, and she's the one with the awesome figure. What the hell is wrong with me?!'_ Finally reaching the top of the stairwell, Ivan began zigzagging his way down corridor after corridor; making Gil's head spin with each unexpected turn.

"Hey! Where are we going?"

"Shh! Keep quiet and don't look back." Ivan hissed quietly. Being told that, of course Gil had to look over his shoulder; what he saw there alarming him deeply. A figure with hair almost as pigment-less as his was tearing down the hall after them; her dark, Azul dress flowing behind her in intimidating billows. _'Holy shit, that's scary!'_ Gil turned back around just in time to make yet another sudden curve, heading down yet another hallway. About halfway down the hall, a door stood ajar. Ivan roughly shoved Gil through the entrance, dashing in after him and slamming the door shut behind them; locking the five dead bolts attached to the wooden surface. Leaning on the locked door, panting slightly, Ivan rested the back of his head on the surface, closing his eyes. Gil could have sworn he saw him shudder. Panting heavily himself, Gil put his hands on his bent knees, his lungs expanding retracting with each labored breath.

"What…the hell…was that?!" Ivan peered down his prominent nose at Gil, his face leaned back and tilting towards the ceiling.

"My sister…" As if on cue, a horrible scratching noise sounded from the other side of the door, the ghostly voice muffled by the obstacle.

"Let me in, brother…Brother…Brother…" Gil definitely saw Ivan shudder as he backed slowly away from the door.

"There are two of them?" Ignoring the moans drifting from the hall, Ivan turned to face Gil, his smile gone completely for the first time in Gil's memory.

"Yes-"

"Broooooooooootheeeeeeeer…"

"That's Natalia-"

"I heard my naaaaaaame…"

"She has a small brother fetish-"

"Let me iiiiiiiiiiiin…Become one with me, brother…"

"It frightens me…" Gil fought the urge to laugh, a smile playing at his lips.

"What is funny?" Ivan did not look offended, just curious. Gil allowed a chuckle before answering.

"I don't know; I guess I didn't expect someone like you to have family issues like this."

"Well, this is the first time I've seen you smile, so I guess my sisters are worth something after all." The smile slowly faded as Gil stared intently at Ivan; worry mixing with confusion. Straightening back up, Gil turned to take in the room for the first time. Void of any decorations, the space was spotless and nearly empty. A bed, bookshelf, dresser and ancient-looking TV stand being the only furnishings. Everything from the books on the shelves to the VHS's in the TV stand were meticulously ordered, not a single thing looked out of place. Walking over to the outdated equipment, Gil picked up a movie; he had forgotten how bulky VHS's had been.

"What century are you living in? You know, DVD's are way better. You should really upgrade to the twenty first cen-HOLY CRAP! Is that a gamecube?!" Gil knelt down to examine the gaming system that had been the focal point of his childhood; nostalgic memories surfacing in his mind.

"Would you like to play it?" Gil whipped around to smirk at Ivan, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Depends. Do you have Mario Cart? Because I'm telling you now; I'll kick your ass." The following hours were a showdown as the two boys battled in every game Ivan possessed. Gil had been correct in his boasting; beating his opponent in every Mario Cart race they played. Natalia finally stopped her scratching and left as the pair became louder and louder in their trash talk and jeering. Ivan had his own set of skills; besting Gil in Mario Smash Bros.; his thumbs and fingers flying across the well-kept controller as he made hit after hit. Finally finishing the last game Ivan owned – a Pokémon duel that Gil lacked experience in – he placed his controller on the carpet in front of him, flexing his hands and leaning back against the foot of Ivan's bed. With a sigh, Gil admitted defeat.

"Whew…Alright, man; you win that one." Ivan chuckled, setting down his own controller and bending across the floor to turn off the console and TV; coming back to his original position beside Gil on the floor. Glancing at the alarm clock on Ivan's dresser, Gil started; the late hour surprising him. '_Wow…it's already twenty two hundred…'_

"That was fun, Ivan, but it's really late and I gotta get home." A strong hand gripped his arm as Gil attempted to stand; pulling him around to face Ivan. Silence lapsed as lavender-hued eyes bore into anxious red; the hand moving up Gil's arm to his cheek. Gil had been expecting something like this to happen from the beginning and said with an annoyed voice that was trying desperately to mask fear.

"I was wondering when you would try something like this."

"Are you scared?"

"Past experience with you means I'm not feeling too safe…"

"I was informed that attacking someone you just met because you think they're cute is not a good way to get to know them." Gil chuckled nervously, swallowing his anger at being called "cute".

"Who told you that?"

"Katyusha."

"Well, she's right." Ivan's voice softened, his smile dropping slightly.

"I will try to take your feelings into consideration from now on." Gil stared at Ivan, surprise etched into his raised eyebrows. '_That's probably the closest thing to an apology I'll ever get from him…'_ with an exasperated sigh, Gil asked the question he had been longing to voice for a while.

"Why are you being so persistent about this?" Gil had to look away; the intent with which Ivan was staring making his skin burn.

"I don't know, but for some reason I can't keep myself away from you." The hand on Gil's moved to the back of his head, tangling in the silver strands. A surprised sound escaped Gil's throat as the hand pulled him roughly forward. Losing his balance at the other's forceful movement, Gil careened into Ivan, an arm circling around his waist to keep him from crashing to the floor. Once again, cold lips were pressed to Gil's, sending shivers up his spine that had nothing to do with the low temperature. Rotating both bodies to the side, Ivan lowered Gil to the floor; their lips never separating. One fist clutching at Ivan's sleeve, Gil's other hand was pushing feebly against the collar bone and shoulder of Ivan's hovering form; his half-hearted efforts at freedom being easily ignored by the other boy. Before he knew what he was doing, Gil had ceased his struggles, the once pushing hand now clawing at Ivan's scarf; pulling him as close a physically possible. Noticing Gil's surrender, Ivan picked up the pace; running his tongue across Gil's bottom lip. Opening his mouth slightly, Gil allowed Ivan in, a chilled tongue coaxing his own into movement.

Disconnecting at last, Gil attempted to recover from the extended period with little air; his lungs fighting for breath. Looking through clouded, half-closed eyes, Gil noticed Ivan smiling down at him; amusement shining in the lavender orbs.

"You know breathing through your nose is an option, right?" Laughing weakly, Gil replied between pants.

"Between…you…and Francis…I should be…getting used to…not breathing…" His expression becoming more serious, Ivan bent his head down again, placing his lips on Gil's neck and whispering.

"That Frenchman will never touch you again." Gil clung to the tan jacket above him as Ivan began running his lips lightly along the sensitive skin of his neck and collar bone. A calloused hand slipping under his shirt finally brought Gil to his senses; his hand gripping Ivan's wrist and gently removing the roaming fingers from his torso. Mild surprise sparked in Gil's mind as Ivan allowed his rejection without a fight. Glancing up once again at the clock, Gil struggled to speak as Ivan's lips continued their work on his neck.

"Ivan…Ivan, it's eleven…I have to go." A single syllable sounded, warm breath blowing over Gil's ear; a pleading tone in Ivan's voice.

"Stay." Gil gasped as teeth nibbled at his earlobe, the sensation sending twangs of excitement shooting through his body. Second thoughts flew through Gil's brain as he weighed the possible outcomes of spending the night.

"Se-Seriously, I…I have to go home." Gil slid out from under Ivan, sitting up as he did so. Ivan sighed deeply as Gil retreated.

"Alright." Getting slowly to his feet, Gil stretched his back, feeling kinks in his spine from lying on the thinly-carpeted hard-wood floor. Making his way to the door, Gil began unlatching each of the deadbolts. Just as the last one clicked open, a hand appeared form behind him, coming to rest on the door. Gil sighed as he felt an arm wind around his waist. '_I knew it wasn't going to be that easy.'_ The hand that had been on the door moved to Gil's face, turning his head firmly to the side.

"Ivan, I don't have time for thi-smf!" Gil found himself drowning once again in Ivan's kiss; the arm tightening around him and bringing their bodies together. Gil stopped his lips' movements as he felt something digging into his lower back, the blood running to his face as he realized what it was.

"Okaaaaaaaaay! Let go of me, Ivan!" His voice rose in pitch as he squirmed out of the taller boy's grasp. With the now familiar chuckle, Ivan allowed Gil to escape, the pair walking through the quiet house in what was a very awkward silence for Gil.

Finally making their way through the endless twists and turns to the front door, Gil turned to Ivan, not sure what to say.

"Well…bye." With a smile, Ivan stated lightly but firmly.

"I'm walking you home."

"No, you're not."

"I'm not letting you walk alone in the dark."

"Goodnight, Ivan." Without another word, Gil opened the door and started for home, slamming it shut behind him. The usual greens and blues were deluded in the moonlight; the entire world bathed in shades of grey. The only sound that reached Gil's ears was the steady rhythm of his feet on the pavement. Without warning, an unexpected root sent him pitching forward; his hands scraping painfully as they caught the full weight of his fall. A pained hiss passed through clenched teeth as Gil sat up, wiping the gravel off his hands. Squinting through the darkness, he saw faintly dark, syrup-consistency liquid running out of a particularly deep cut. '_Great. Just great.'_

"You really are hopeless." Gil jumped at the unexpected noise; a shrill squeak escaping him as large hands encompassed his own. Kneeling next to him, Ivan brought Gil's palms closer to him – examining the injuries – seeming to have no problem seeing in the darkness.

"You scared the shit outta me!" Gil screamed, his heart pumping at the speed of light.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you walk alone in the dark; for this reason exactly." Ivan said as he began picking imbedded gravel out of the cuts. Gil jerked his hands away, getting angrily to his feet.

"I can take care of myself; I'm not a child!"

"Says the kid that can't even walk a familiar street in the dark." Gil fumed silently, feeling his face grow red as he stared down at Ivan's dim figure. Standing up himself, Ivan chuckled lightly.

"You're blushing. It's cute." Gil gasped, feeling his blush deepen.

"How could you possibly know that?! It's pitch black out here."

"I see better than most in the dark."

"Good for you. See your way home and stop stalking me." With that, Gil shouldered past Ivan and resumed his walk home. Again, he heard nothing but his own footsteps, but every now and then felt Ivan's jacket lightly brush against him; betraying the fact that he was not alone. Finally making his way to the house, Gil turned in the drive way to face Ivan. He was a barely-conceivable shadow in the darkness and Gil squinted through the space separating them; trying to ascertain some sort of feature.

"Okay. Thanks for walking me home. Goodnight, Ivan."

"Can I come in? I would like to help treat your injuries." Gil panicked at these words.

"That is probably the worst idea I have ever heard. Do you know what Lud would do to you?"

"I think, in a fair fight in which I was prepared, I would be a match for that junior."

"No! No fighting! I'm staying right here until I'm sure you're gone." The shadow moved closer and Gil felt a chilled hand cup his face; the thumb rubbing lightly against his as it had in their first encounter.

"Alright." Lips were brought slowly to Gil's, smoother and more gentle than before; as if Ivan was savoring something he wasn't sure he would ever taste again. His heart rate increasing, Gil fought the urge to wrap his arms around the body in front of him; sure that if he showed any signs of consent that Ivan would take it too far. After a few seconds of sweet sensation all contact vanished and when Gil opened his eyes, no trace of Ivan could be found in the black. Standing in the driveway for a few minutes to make sure he would not reappear, Gil listened to the insects and animals that make up the sounds of the night. Finally, he turned to the house; bracing himself to deal with his brother.

….

Lud paced quickly across the living room, Kiku following his movements from where he sat on the couch. Running his fingers frantically through his blonde locks – allowing the bangs to fall from their slicked-back style onto his forehead – Lud sighed, exasperated, his voice brimming with worry.

"We searched for hours; where else could he be?! What if he doesn't come back tonight? I swear I'm gonna kill that Russian bastard; god, I wish I knew where he lived." Kiku listened to Lud's ramblings, interrupting his panicking friend after a few minutes.

"Lud…LUD!" Lud turned on his heel to face Kiku, a surprised look on his face.

"He _will_ come back; all we can do is wait. So please calm down; there's nothing else we can do…" Slumping over to the couch, Lud collapsed heavily into the springy cushions. Placing a hand on his forehead, he said in a calmer voice.

"I know, I know. It's just my imagination. Images of what might be happening to him…what the creep is doing to him…" the grip on his forehead tightened as Lud spoke, his nails digging into his scalp. The sound of the door latching open sent Lud jumping to his feet; both boys looking expectantly at the swinging door. Gilbert stood in the opening, staring wide-eyed between his brother and sensei.

"Hey, Kiku…What are you doing here?" Before Kiku could answer, Lud had sped across the room, crushing his brother in a forceful embrace.

"Oof! Lud, what's the matter with you?! Let go, you're killing me!" Lud backed away, hands grasping Gilbert's shoulders; his eyes wracking over the body before him, looking for injuries.

"Are you hurt? Where were you? What have you been doing? _Godammit_, Gil! You scared me shitless!" Gil stared blankly up at Ludwig, his face frozen in shock. He had expected his brother to be angry, not insane.

"Lud, I'm fine!"

"Where _were_ you?" Gil looked uneasily at the floor.

"…I was just…"

"What did that Russian bastard do?!"

"N-Nothing! We just played video games…" Ludwig stared down at Gil disbelievingly; stating bluntly.

"Liar."

"I'm not lying! He had a GameCube and it took hours to get through all the old games. Can you believe that where he comes from, that's the new gaming system? I guess it's true what they say about Russia being a decade behind everyone else." Gil attempted to laugh; his voice dying away as he looked into Ludwig's unamused eyes. A large hand seized Gil's chin, tilting it angrily up and to the side.

"Hey! What're you-"

"For someone who's been playing video games all night, you have some interesting marks." Hands flying up to cover his neck, Gilbert wrenched his face out of Lud's grasp; storming to his room and slamming the door behind him. With a deep sigh, Lud made his way back to the couch, speaking quietly to its occupant.

"See, Kiku? You were wrong; he's obviously in a relationship with Ivan." Standing up, Kiku walked calmly towards the door, turning back to Lud with his hand on the handle.

"Well, at least he's not hurt. And he came home safely, so be grateful. Don't assume, just because he doesn't feel he can share his relationship with Ivan with you, that his entire alibi is a lie; maybe Ivan is making an effort to be friendly." Kiku smiled at Lud's skeptic expression.

"Just speak with him without anger. Keep an open mind." Lud called out as Kiku began closing the door behind him.

"Wait." The dark-haired head popped back into the house.

"Yes?"

"How do you know all this?"

"The atmosphere. Gil did not seem uneasy at all just now; though when I spoke to him earlier, he was absolutely terrified. Also, when you started asking about Ivan, he had an air of guilt; the only thing I could think of the make him feel guilty in this situation would be if he hadn't had as terrible a time with Ivan as he believes you assume he did. It's simple, really." And with that, the door clicked shut, leaving Lud alone to ponder the new insight on the situation. '_Okay. I have to talk to him calmly and with an open mind…but the thought of Gil being with _him _makes me want to hit something…'_ out of nowhere, a little voice sounded in Lud's head, reminding him vaguely of Kiku. '_Is it the thought of Gil being with Ivan, or him being with anyone other than you?'_ Lud shook his head violently, trying to clear his mind of these confusing thoughts. The epitome hit him like a ton of bricks and he fell back onto the couch; his face in his hands.

'_Oh, God. I'm in love with my brother!'_

_…._

A few hours passed before a knock sounded at Gil's bedroom door. His textbooks were laid out on his bed in an attempt to study, but he hadn't gotten far. The knocking came again, the same volume and rhythm as before.

"Go away! I don't wanna talk about it." The door opened anyway, Ludwig stepping silently into the room. Coming to the side of the bed, he pulled up Gil's desk chair and sat down; his face deliberately calm and emotionless. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"So…Are you dating him?" Gil could hear the suppressed anger in his brother's voice, the syllables cracking unsteadily. Gil became immediately defensive.

"NO!"

"Did you want to go with him today? Because Kiku said you looked terrible when you cancelled with him. He suspected blackmail or threats." Gil calmed somewhat, his voice losing some of its uneasy edge.

"No, I really didn't. He…He told me he would…m-molest me in front of everyone at lunch if I didn't agree to cancel with Kiku and spend the afternoon with him."

"Why didn't you tell me?! I would have kicked his ass." Anger slid back into Gil's words as he continued.

"Well, you're the one who said I need to take care of myself, so I really didn't want to run to you for help. Besides, with Kiku's training I figured I could slip out of his hold and run if I needed to; I've got some of those techniques down pretty well."

"So what happened?"

"We walked to his place, I met his sisters – one had some major boobage, man, you should have seen those things – and we went to his room and played the GameCube. I had really expected it to be another rape attempt, and was really surprised at how it turned out." Gil looked into cold, disbelieving blue eyes as Ludwig stared pointedly at his neck.

"What about those?" Looking uncomfortably at the textbook in his lap, Gil mumbled.

"He did get kinda weird at the end…"

"Did you use one of Kiku's techniques and run away?" and awkward silence followed as Gil fumbled nervously with a page of the book.

"…Not exactly…" Gil felt his face grow beet red. With a voice shaking with fury, Ludwig asked quietly.

"Just how far did you let him go, brother?" Gil's head snapped up, his eyes wide and earnest.

"Nothing like that happened, I swear! We just kissed-Ah!" Ludwig was on top of Gil before either boy knew what was happening. Something in him snapped and Lud found himself screaming.

"How _could you_?! Do you _know_ what this is doing to me?! Is what we do _nothing_ to you?!" Panting heavily, Lud stared down into Gilbert's terrified eyes; his own demanding an answer. Quietly and with much caution, Gil replied.

"Lud, I love you, but it's a brotherly love. You had to know that the experimenting we've been doing had to stop eventually, right? When one of us got a girlfriend, we would have had to end this."

"Who says we need girlfriends?! We make each other happy, right? And besides, it's that damn Russian you're rejecting me for; I wouldn't feel so bad if it was a girl!"

"I'm _not_ rejecting you! Lud, please try to understand. This would have happened with or without Iva-Hey! Stop that!" Ludwig bent his head, taking the skin of Gilbert's already marked neck between his teeth; biting and sucking forcefully and causing the bottom boy to wince in pain. Stopping for a moment, he said.

"I have more of a right to this body than he does." Running a tongue up to Gilbert's ear, he whispered.

"We still haven't gone all the way yet. I was waiting until you were comfortable with it, but things are different now. I'll be damned if I'll let that bastard have your virginity." Gil felt his blood run cold as he registered his brother's words. All thought vanished in the panic that ensnared his mind; a stronger yet familiar feeling to when Kiku had him in a particularly constricting hold. His body moved before he could tell it to stop; his fists coming up to slam into the two major blood vessels in Ludwig's neck. His fists trained for this defense, the knuckles on Gil's middle fingers protruded slightly higher than the other clenched digits, striking exactly where they were needed. The weight of Ludwig's body landed heavily on top of Gil as he passed out, a strangled cry echoing around the small space as the blood flow to Ludwig's head was cut off. Rolling the dead weight off of him, Gil quickly got up from the bed, his mind shutting down as his adrenaline took over. '_Gotta get out. Gotta get out. Gotta…'_

Faster than he had ever moved before, Gil sped around the room; throwing a change of clothes into a bag and sprinting out of the house before the threat could regain consciousness. Using the small flashlight he had remembered to snag on the way out, Gil rushed clumsily down the driveway; stopping to catch his breath when he reached the now-silent road. The panic dying somewhat, Gil began to wonder where exactly he planned to go. '_What the hell am I thinking?! Tomorrow's the weekend, so I don't really have school to worry about, but where else do I have to go?'_ Ivan flashed briefly into his mind and Gil rejected the idea immediately. '_If I show up at his door at this time of night, he'll definitely get the wrong idea…'_ Thinking of his pitifully small list of friends, Gil suddenly remembered his sensei. He had gone to Kiku's place a few times for additional training after school and was pretty sure he could find his way there, even in the dark. Making up his mind at last, Gil walked across the deserted street towards the only person he could turn to.


	7. Chapter 7

'_Who in the world is knocking on my door at this hour?!' _Kiku stumbled groggily to the door; his pajamas and hair a ruffled mess. The sight that met him when he slung the entrance open snapped Kiku out of his sleepy stupor. Panting heavily, a bag at his feet, Gil stared into Kiku's eyes, and apology rushing from his lips.

"I'm so sorry for bothering you in the middle of the night-"

"Morning."

"Huh?" Kiku glared, annoyed, at his flustered friend.

"It's not nighttime. It's THREE O' CROCK IN THE MORNING!" Gil flinched at Kiku's raised voice, his face falling. He had never heard Kiku make a grammatical mistake before, but it seemed he reverted back to Engrish when extremely angry.

"I'm sorry…I just don't have anywhere else to go. The only other option I had left was Ivan's…" As unshed tears gathered in Gil's eyes, Kiku began regretting his harsh tone; he was always cranky when woken up.

"No, no. I'm sorry for yelling. Come in, you'll catch a cold out there." Leading Gil in by the shoulder, Kiku walked him to a chair in the spacious living room; leaving for a few moments to return with a glass of water, which he handed to his guest. Sitting down beside Gil, he spoke while the other boy drank the water in a few gulps.

"So what happened? Did you and Lud fight?" Gil looked down at the wood floor, his voice quiet and weary.

"Something like that…"

"He's just worried about you." Gil shook his head despairingly.

"Worry doesn't cause people to do what he did. He hates me." The soft voice broke with the last few words, Gil's face drooping more; his bangs hiding his eyes.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but what exactly did he do?" Gil struggled with how much he wanted to tell Kiku.

"He…He went crazy. Attacked me."

"Why?"

"I don't know, me being with Ivan seems to piss him off."

"So what did you do?"

"…I used one of the techniques you taught me…"

"Really?! Great! How did it go? Did the repetitions pay off?" Gil looked up at Kiku's exited grin with dead eyes.

"Sorry, please continue. What happened next?"

"I hit him in the points you showed me in the neck, he passed out, and I left before he could wake up. And, here we are…"

"Wow, using defenses learned for Ivan being exercised on your own brother…Ironic, isn't it?" Gil buried his face in his hands, exclaiming in a depressed voice.

"Why would he do something like that?! Gah! This sucks!" Gil's face snapped back up in surprise at Kiku's answer.

"Jealousy makes people do things they normally wouldn't." Gil just gaped for a few seconds, mouth hanging open.

"How…"

"How did I know? The atmosphere."

"…Huh?"

"The way he talks about you, the way he looks at you, the way he looks when you talk about Ivan; they all say that he is deeply in love with you. Am I wrong? Other than the obvious issues of the two of you being blood-related and of the same gender, all the signs are there." At the terrified look on Gil's face, he quickly added.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." With a sigh of relief, Gil collapsed back into the chair. Eyes closed, he mumbled.

"I've known for a while and have been trying to distance myself form the situation. It's wrong, what he wants."

"Have you given him any cause to believe there could be that kind of relationship with you in the future?" Memories of all the times he had melted into Ludwig's embrace flashed through Gil's mind.

"Well…" Pausing to think, Gil decided to tell Kiku more than he probably should; the Asian's deep insight more than capable of picking up a lie.

"When he was eleven and I was twelve, he walked in on me when I was…you know…Anyway, he asked me what I was doing so I…taught him. It grew from there. It was never serious for me, but Lud seems to harbor some feelings." Gil looked up at Kiku nervously, expecting a scoff and look of disgust, but Kiku simply shook his head as if that back-story explained everything.

"Yes, for the person you've been intimate with since puberty, if would be very difficult to see them simply move on to someone else without saying a word. You really need to explain to Lud your situation before you dive into another relationship."

"You're making it sound like I need to have the break-up talk with my own brother; it was never that kind of relationship! There's nothing to break!"

"Apparently, that's not the case for your brother, and you do seem to be breaking something." Gil understood the hint immediately, guilt building in his stomach.

"Am I really hurting him that much?"

"Seems like it."

"What can I do? I feel awful."

"Just give him a day or two to calm down and try to talk to him again." Kiku let loose an enormous yawn halfway through the sentence, Gil following suit and yawning as well.

"For right now, let's both get some sleep. You can have the guest room for tonight." Showing him to the spacious, well-furnished guest room, Kiku mumbled goodnight; shutting the door to his own room with a soft click. Worry swam through Gil's brain as he sank into the soft bedclothes; sleep consuming his overused mind as soon as his head hit the pillows.

….

"He did what?" Ivan smothered his fury as he did with all strong emotion; letting it burn behind a calm mask. Standing in front of Gil's locker, the slender, silver-haired boy was using the locker door as a shield; whispering so no one else could hear. Ivan leaned forward slightly, attempting to catch the mumbled words. He saw in the close proximity that Gilbert was blushing deeply; his brow furrowed with stress and worry.

"I said, when I got home Friday night, Lud went insane. I had to spend the weekend with Kiku because I was scared to go home. You left marks on me, idiot! He flipped when he saw them."

"Why would what we do make him angry?" Gilbert averted his gaze as he always does when Ivan says something that makes him uncomfortable. It was the main reason Ivan said them.

"I don't know…" Ivan thought about calling Gilbert out on his lie, but decided instead to cut him a break and drop it.

"Alright. What did he do?" The words flew out of Gil's mouth before he could stop himself; desperate to confide the whole story in someone.

"He attacked me, said he had more of a right to my-my body than you did and-and tried to r-rape me…" Ivan gaped at the boy's shaking, terrified form; his fury growing with every second he had to watch his Gilbert in pain (that he had not inflicted himself). His fists clenched, Ivan managed to keep his smile in place; although he was sure his anger was showing through the crumbling mask.

"So what did you do?"

"Um…" Gil had forgotten about his and Kiku's secret. Ivan was under the impression that they 'studied'.

"Well…I…managed to get away and ran to Kiku's."

"You're hiding something."

"N-No, I'm not." Ivan inched closer, his smile widening. That was one lie too many.

"You know, I have ways of making you tell the truth." Gil drew in a quick breath as a large hand came around to his back, slipping under his jeans.

"S-Stop! Okay, okay, I'll tell you." Creating a distance again, Ivan waited expectantly. Grabbing his lunch out of the locker, Gilbert slammed it shut and the pair began making their way to the courtyard.

"Okay. Kiku and I haven't been studying after school; he's been training me to defend myself." Ivan gave Gilbert a side-long glance as they walked through the crowded hallway.

"And that's what you used to get away from your brother." A confirming nod from Gilbert.

"So why did you keep your training a secret from me?" Ivan was already pretty sure that he knew the answer.

"Because…you were the reason I started taking them…" Ivan chuckled lightly. Walking past the boy's rest room, a devious idea flashed into his mind.

"Come, Gilbert." Grabbing his wrist firmly, Ivan made a sudden turn towards the bathroom entrance, feeling resistance from his captive.

"Wh-What are you doing?! Let go!"

"You lied to me, now I feel in a punishing mood." Ivan rotated his head to smirk at Gilbert as he dragged the boy towards his goal, receiving a terrified expression in return.

"Let go of me! Stop!"

"If you want freedom, use your training. Make me let you go like you did to Ludwig." Crossing the threshold, Gilbert finally managed to squirm out of Ivan's grasp, yelling angrily.

"What makes you think you can do this?!" Ivan felt his smile widen.

"Because if you could get away from your much stronger brother, you could easily defend against me; yet that night, you barely resisted at all."

"Just because I don't want to hurt you doesn't give you the right to harass me whenever you feel like it, you prick! Stop being so-WHAT?!" Gil had felt a hand tap his shoulder and he whipped around, anger in his tone, to face Mr. Scott; one of the strictest, meanest teachers in the school.

"Well, young man, I had come over here to tell you to lower your voice and watch the language; but now I think I'll see you in detention for disrespectful conduct towards a teacher. See you after school in room one-ten. If you're not there, it will turn into a suspension." And with that, he walked away; leaving Gil staring, astounded, into the distance. Turning slowly back around to face Ivan, he glared with an anger he had never felt before. Fists pounding ineffectively into the laughing Russian's shoulder, Gil resumed his yells.

"This is all your fault! Now I have to cancel. With. Kiku. AGAIN! Dick!"

"About that," Ivan said calmly over the sound of Gil's fists and slaps connecting with his jacket, "tell Kiku you can't train on Fridays. That's the day you come home with me."

….

Slumping into room one-ten, Gil looked around to see who else Mr. Scott had snagged for detention. Only one other desk was taken; the occupant being one of the people Gil least wanted to be stuck with for an hour. Before he could retreat as far away from the other boy as possible, Mr. Scott said angrily from where he sat at the front of the room.

"Take a seat next to Mr. Romano; I want to be able to glance up and see you both." With an inward sigh, Gil sat down where he was told, never looking at the youngest member of the tyrannical trio. Once he was settled, Mr. Scott said in a tone that belonged in the military, not a school.

"No talking. If you have homework, do it. Number one rule: don't bother me." And with that, he placed ear buds into his ears and hid his face behind a sports magazine. Out of the corner of his eye, Gil saw Romano turn to face him, a whisper reaching his ears.

"We can talk now as long as we're quiet." Gil risked a glance at his bully's face; but without Antonio and Francis around, all animosity seemed to have left the hazel-highlighted, dark haired freshman. At Gil's silence and weary look, he continued.

"So what did you do to land yourself in here?"

"I was yelling at someone and when he came over to tell me to quiet down, I accidentally screamed at him…" Romano chuckled at the ridiculous story.

"That's hilarious!"

"What did you do?"

"I told Mrs. Lungren to shut up."

"Huh? Why?"

"Have you ever heard her speak?"

"No." Mrs. Lungren was a freshman teacher that was hired after Gil was already a sophomore.

"Well, you'd understand if you had to sit through her class." Gil laughed quietly, allowing the conversation to lapse into silence. Romano, having no homework and feeling bored, asked.

"So who made such a quiet person like you angry enough to scream?" the answer was spat like a curse.

"Ivan." Romano looked at him curiously.

"What's going on between you two, anyway? He's all over you at lunch." Tired of the awkward being directed only at him, Gil locked eyes with Romano.

"I could ask the same question about you and Antonio." Romano looked down at the desk.

"I guess we're both kinda…confused." He mumbled.

"It's all their fault for being so pushy."

"I know, right?!" the boys stared, astonished, at each other; surprised at how much they had in common. Being a lot newer at this than Romano, Gil asked.

"So how do you deal with it?"

"I used to struggle a lot, but I've kinda accepted it now. No matter how uncomfortable he makes the situation, I can never bring myself to dislike Tony; so I figure he's special. I don't know if that's how it is with you and Ivan, though; I can't imagine anyone liking that monster…" Gil surprised himself by defending the source of all his worry.

"He's really not that bad once you get past his weird personality. He does have a nice side." Romano smirked at Gil, laughter in his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. You got it bad. How far have you let him go?" Gil's eyes widened at the unexpected twist.

"Wh-What are you talking about? I haven't…I mean he…we only…" Gil decided to shut up before he embarrassed himself further; looking down at the desk as Romano laughed.

"I take it your virginity is still intact." Gil fought his curiosity, but could not stop the question from passing his lips.

"…Are you saying you and Antonio have…"

"Yeah. It hurts at first, but you'll like it after a while. I'm sure someone as persistent as Ivan will take you eventually." Gil gaped at Romano in disbelief.

"How can you-"

"STOP GOSSIPING ABOUT YOUR BOYFRIENDS AND FIND SOME WORK TO DO! YOU TWO DISGUST ME!" Both boys jumped, looking down at their desks, blushes on their faces. The rest of the time was spent in rigid silence.

….

"Lud, are you here?" Knocking a few times with no response, Veneziano tried the handle; slipping cautiously into the unlocked house.

"Lud? Luuuuuuuuuud?" Making his way through the dim house, Veneziano knocked lightly on what he knew to be his friend's bedroom door; receiving a startling answer. The door flew open, Ludwig saying frantically.

"Gil! You came ba- oh, hi Venny. How did you get in here?" Ludwig looked awful. Dark bags under his eyes made the light blue corneas stand out even more than usual. Disheveled hair was pushed haphazardly out of his face, holding none of its usually neat style. Veneziano stared up at his friend; his worry deepening.

"Um…the door was unlocked."

"Oh…well, why are you here?"

"I was worried about you. You barely said a word all day and skipped practice. It's not like you; what's wrong?" Ludwig went back into his room, leaving the door ajar for Veneziano to follow. Once they were both settled on the edge of Ludwig's bed he began explaining; grateful to have someone to confide in.

"I did something terrible, Venny. Gil came home really late last Friday with hickeys all over his neck and I…snapped. You were right, I have feelings for him and seeing the evidence of that Russian bastard's mouth on him was too much." Veneziano's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, what happened?"

"I…attacked him…tried to-to do things to him…then he used some of Kiku's karate stuff and I got knocked out. When I woke up a few hours later he was gone. I learned from Kiku today that he spent the weekend with him; I had been sure he had gone back to Ivan's…anyway, Kiku also said that Gil cancelled training today because he had detention, so I skipped practice to wait for him. I feel terrible; I need to apologize. It's just…I felt so betrayed…why doesn't he understand?!" Veneziano was shocked to see tears rolling down his friend's face; a rattling sob reverberating around the room. Ludwig rocked back slightly as Veneziano's body crashed into him, little arms twining around his neck in a gentle hug. Veneziano's voice sounded next to Ludwig's ear; shaking with sobs as well.

"Please don't be sad; it's not Lud's fault. This kind of thing never works out; I know."

"How can you possibly know?"

"Romano…and I…had something similar; just please don't be sad, it's not your fault." Ludwig wrapped his arms around Veneziano's thin waist, a question sounding form his lips.

"What happened between you and Romano?"

"We would do the same things you and Gil did until Antonio started wanting him."

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're still close, but it took a while to get comfortable around each other after he rejected me." One of Ludwig's hands came up subconsciously to stroke Veneziano's velvety hair comfortingly.

"How did you deal with that?" A pause followed before a small vice answered.

"Well…I was really depressed for a while, but then I fell in love with…someone else…" Ludwig froze in his rhythmic petting; shock consuming him as the words sank in. Backing his face away a little, he locked eyes with the small, almost child-like boy that was practically in his lap. After a few seconds of silence, Ludwig asked shakily.

"W-Who…Who is it?" Instead of answering, Veneziano inched his face slowly towards Ludwig's, their lips barely brushing together. The sensations that flooded Ludwig were unlike anything he had ever felt before; a feeling of disappointment piercing his chest when they quickly separated. Veneziano stared at him with fear on his face; obviously waiting to gage his reaction. The only thing his stunned mind could manage was.

"…Wow." Veneziano's face lit up at the positive response; pouncing and pushing Ludwig down on his back. Hovering over the larger boy, Veneziano began kissing lightly, both hands tangling in golden strands of hair. Finding himself needing more than the feather-light kisses he was receiving, Ludwig put a hand behind Veneziano's head; forcing him to connect more. Getting the hint, Veneziano made his kisses rougher, implementing his tongue as well. Realizing that the boy above him needed no more prompting, Ludwig moved his hands lower. Slipping his finger tips under the t-shirt, he ran his palms slowly over Veneziano's skin; feeling the warm flesh shiver at his touch. A whimper escaped the smaller boy's mouth, the sound vibrating against Ludwig's lips. Laughing lightly, Ludwig broke the kiss, asking curiously.

"What was that?" Veneziano's answer was accompanied by an adorable, pink blush.

"My…My sides are very sensitive…" A devious grin spread across Ludwig's face.

"Well, that's a useful piece of information." With just his fingertips, Ludwig ran his way lightly down Veneziano's sides; wondering if he was more sensitive to a soft or rough touch. Veneziano's reaction was immediate and strong, his body shaking as he made a series of noises similar to the first.

"Ah!...Wa…wait-nn! Hah!" _'What an adorable face.'_ Ludwig thought as he stared up at Veneziano's trembling form. His teeth were clenched as if he was trying to keep his voice down, his eyes screwed shut and cheeks flushed. _'What hyperactive sensitivity…I wonder where else I can tease…'_ Moving his hand up further, Lud located one of Veneziano's nipples, rubbing it gently then suddenly pinching.

"NYA! Ah-Lud! S-Stop…It hur-NNA!"

"Um…Hi, Lud…" Lud froze at the familiar voice, him and Veneziano staring at each other in shock. Simultaneously, the two boys turned their heads to look at the person in the doorway.

"G-Gil, you're home!"


	8. Chapter 8

Pulling Veneziano's shirt back down and lifting the nearly-weightless body off of him, Lud quickly stood; stammering.

"Umm…This isn't what it-I mean I didn't mean to…I'm sorry." To his great surprise, his brother merely laughed. Smiling up at him, he said.

"No, there's no need to apologize; this makes me feel a ton better. I'm so glad you found someone, although I must admit, I'm a little shocked that it's Venny. I expected you to find…well, a girl." Another chuckle followed this and Lud asked hesitantly.

"You're…not mad?" Gilbert became a little more serious, his smile being replaced by a look of guilt. Veneziano looked from where he still sat on the bed from brother to brother, a small smile playing at his lips.

"Why would _I _be mad? I hurt you first."

"But…that stuff I did; the stuff I said…" With a dismissive wave of the hand, Gilbert replied.

"Pssssh, after all the times I've been attacked, it doesn't even bother me anymore. It's okay, Lud."

"So – since neither of us are mad at each other – are we good?" Lud smiled at Gilbert's affirmative nod.

"Yeah, sorry to interrupt." And with a sly grin, Gilbert closed the door, leaving Lud and Veneziano alone once more. Lud turned back to the bed, a look of pure amazement on his face.

"…Wow, that went better than I expected…Now Venny, where were we?"

….

Relief washed over Gil; he never thought walking in on a scene like that could make him feel so good. _'He's finally moved on, that's one less thing to worry about. Now all I have to deal with is Ivan, who provides all the stress I will ever need…' _Although happy his brother had gotten over him, Gil hurried away to the computer room on the other side of the house; not particularly wanting to hear any more of Veneziano's mewling. Sitting down and turning on a game, Gil felt as if a weight that had been threatening to crush him had suddenly lifted. _'Well, that went better than I expected…'_

….

_'Ugh. How did it end up like this?!'_ Gil wondered as Ivan slid a cool tongue into his mouth. School books lay abandoned on the coffee table. Gil had insisted that they not go in any room that had a bed when Friday rolled around and Ivan asked him what he wanted to do. But how was this any different? After a few minutes of silent studying on the couch, Ivan had sidled over; attempting to look innocent and failing tremendously. And, before Gil had even had the chance to think, his body had been eased down onto the cushions, a cool body warming as it pressed against his own. As their mouths melded together, hands began exploring; Ivan's finding their way under Gil's heavy, woolen coat and thick cotton shirt. After a few minutes of fumbling with the bulky fabrics, Gil felt Ivan growl, the sound tickling his lips with the vibrations. With a frustrated yank of the arm, the jacket was unzipped, the unexpectedly loud ripping sound making Gil flinch. Speedy hands pushed the coat aside, thrusting the underlying shirt up to gather at Gil's neck. The below-freezing air of Ivan's refrigerated house hit Gil like a splash of ice water; goose bumps erupting over the exposed skin. Gasping at the sudden cold, Gil tried to gather his garments around his bare torso; Ivan's hands gripping his wrists and hoisting them above their heads before he had a chance to cover himself.

"I-Ivan, it's too cold for this! Please stop-NH!" One hand encompassed both of Gil's struggling wrists, Ivan's other set of digits traveling down to his bare flesh, the once cold skin now warm compared to the air around them.

"But your nipples are so hard and I haven't even played with them yet." Gil cried out as Ivan bent his head, taking one hard bud into the warmth of his mouth. One stimulated by a hand, one by tongue and teeth, Gil suddenly found himself arching his back at the oddly pleasurable sensation; even as his body screamed its discomfort at the dangerous temperature. Looking up at his face, Ivan chuckled.

"You look surprised. Did you not expect it to feel good?" Gil's response was cut off by a startling fit of body-wracking coughs. As the convulsions continued, Ivan found it harder and harder to mask his mounting worry. The sight of the trembling lips turning from their usual shade of pink to a terrifyingly pale blue effectively snapped Ivan out of his selfishly-needy mood. Drawing the coat back around the shaking body, Ivan's free hand began rubbing quickly against the fabric in an attempt to warm Gil out of his state with the friction. Through the pain, Gil poured as much annoyance as he could into his next few panting words.

"How many…times…do I-cough-have to tell you…I'm _sickly!_ Cold like thi-hack-s…can kill me…Idiot."

"Sorry." Ivan said with his usual smile. Gil coughed a few more times before the boy above him managed to warm him with his hands.

"Thanks. Now could you get off of me?" Ivan's eyes developed the glint of deviance that made Gil's heart skip a beat.

"Oh, no. Don't think you're getting off that easy." With a tug, the purple scarf was removed from Ivan's neck. Gil gaped; he had never seen Ivan without it before.

"W-What are y-you doing?" Instead of answering, Ivan brought Gil's still-held wrists back down; wrapping the sturdy woolen fabric around them in a series of complex knots and twists to ensure no escape. Before Gil knew what was happening, he was bound and helpless, Ivan getting up from the couch to admire his handiwork.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. Untie me now- Woah! What do you think you're doing?!" Cradling him like a baby, Ivan began walking though the house in what Gil guessed was the route to his bedroom (the house still confused him greatly). Struggling immensely, Gil let out a grunt of frustration as the scarf held out to his limited strength. Looking up, he noticed Ivan staring at him.

"So cute…" Gil felt his face flush.

"Shut up and untie me."

"Nope." Ivan stated with a smile. Gil continued his resistance as they entered the bedroom, Ivan closing the door and locking the two bottom dead bolts; the only ones he could reach with Gil in his arms. Everything went black as Ivan flipped the switch beside the locked door.

"Oh God, please turn the lights back on." Gil felt himself tremble against Ivan's body, his left-over childhood fear of the dark making his heart beat at a frantic pace. Movement continued as Ivan began walking again, his voice whispering in Gil's ear.

"It's okay, Gilbert. I am here." More shivers ran through Gil's body and he told himself it was from the rigid cold and absolutely not from the lips brushing lightly over the top of his ear. Ivan let Gil's feet down gently, keeping an arm around the shaking shoulders. Gil heard what sounded like moving covers and, in the adjusting darkness, he could barely make out the bed they were standing next to. The arm around his shoulder directed him towards the mattress and Gil hesitantly allowed himself to be lowered and laid on the bed. But instead of Ivan climbing on top of him like Gil expected; what felt like two thick quilts were thrown over him. His eyes adjusted almost completely to the black, Gil turned to watch what Ivan would do next. Striding across the room, he removed his jacket; hanging it carefully on the peg set in his closet door. Turning back to the bed, Ivan removed his undershirt in one graceful movement; draping the garment nonchalantly on the floor and exposing his toned-yet-pale torso. In two steps, his pants had been discarded as well, leaving Ivan walking towards Gil with nothing on besides his boxers and that creepy smile.

The blankets were thrown off Gil with a sudden jerk, making him jump as a cold breeze blew unexpectedly over him.

"Woops. I forgot about your clothes. We'll have to make do with the shirt and jacket since your arms are bound."

"No, Ivan; I don't want this. You're going too fast- Stop!" Strong hands grabbed his belt-loops, yanking the jeans down to Gil's ankles and off his person altogether before he could react. '_Thank God he left my boxers on…'_ Climbing into bed with him, Ivan covered them both with the quilts; allowing Gil's bare legs a minimal amount of time in the frozen air. Gil attempted to scoot away but arms wrapped around his, bringing their bodies together and trapping his already-bound limbs. Hands curled in the fetal position at Gil's neck, his face was level with Ivan's collar bone. Ivan's scent, which Gil had noticed before in the past few weeks, wafted around him; intoxicating his already overwhelmed senses. Gil gave a moan of protest as Ivan pushed a leg in between his own, travelling an uncomfortable distance up the inside of his thighs. Expecting the worst, Gil was rather surprised when all movement stopped; the pair lying in silent embrace as seconds lapsed into minutes. Realization hit as heat seeped into Gil's chilled limbs due to the quilts and combined body heat. '_He's trying to keep me warm…'_ Noticing that some of his anatomy was still cold, Gil pressed his feet against Ivan's leg; his toes curling around the warm flesh. Face buried in the hollow between Ivan's neck and shoulder, Gil's core temperature slowly returned to normal. A whisper sounded after quite a while of comfortable stillness.

"Are you warm?"

"Yeah…Can you untie me now?" Gil met Ivan's eyes; a plea in his expression. Ivan's impressive self-control snapped at last at the adorable red eyes staring into his own.

"I'm sorry," he panted, "I can't hold back anymore. I'll try to be gentle."

"Wha-?" His bound arms were pulled above his head once again and when Ivan removed his hands Gil found he could no longer move his arms at all; looking up, he saw that Ivan had tied the scarf to the headboard as well. Coming to hover over Gil, the covers cascading down his back and no longer touching the bottom boy, Ivan smothered Gil's protests with kisses. Turning his face away, Gil gasped as lips found their way to his already-marked neck.

"N-No! This is…this is too much…Ivan, please…stop-nh!" Both jacket and shirt were pushed over Gil's head; being forced to stop when they met the scarf at his hands. His chest bare once more, Gil shivered as Ivan continued his explorations of the body beneath him. Pinching a nipple playfully, Ivan said over Gil's moans.

"Don't worry. I'll make it as painless as possible." Gil began struggling even harder against his bonds as he felt hands pulling at the waist band of his underwear; a blush spreading over his face as he felt them slide down his legs.

"Wow." Ivan said as he stared down at Gil's exposed body. "With a face as pretty as yours, I expected it to be smaller than this. And it's already nice and hard." Humiliation rolled over Gil at the vulgar words; his eyes welling up with embarrassed and infuriated tears. His voice growing hoarse from yelling and knowing it would do no good anyway, Gil kept silent; fighting back the sobs building in his chest. Looking up at his silent captive, Ivan teased.

"What? Have you given in alrea-Gilbert, what's wrong?" Finally noticing the distress the boy under him was in; Ivan stopped his hand's southern movements. Bringing his face back up to levelly look at Gil's terrified featured, the tears finally fell and one enormous sob escaped the trapped boy's control. A hand on each side of his face, Gil felt thumbs wipe across the bottoms of his eyes; catching the warm tears as they fled his body.

"What's wrong?" Ivan's voice had lost all humor and he spoke in a gentle whisper. "You were enjoying it before. What changed?"

"R-R-Rom-Romano says it-it hurts…" Gil wailed through his now-uncontrollable crying.

"Romano?" The immediate threat stalled, Gil's nerves began to ease, his voice steadying as he explained.

"I-I had detention with him the other day, and he told me he has a…similar situation with Antonio as I do with-with you…he…he said the first time feels like your body is being rip-ripped apart…I don't-don't want this…I don't…want…" Sobs consumed the shaking boy once more as he recalled the source of his fear. After detention, on the way out of the school building, he had continued his conversation with the young Italian, asking him just how bad his first time had been. The answer had been less than comforting.

"Gilbert. Trust me and just relax. Yes, the first time is the most rough, but with the proper preparation it won't be unbearable. I promise." Gil looked up into the most serious expression he had even seen Ivan hold; the smirk gone and eyes brimming with concern. Vaguely, he wondered how Ivan knew so much about sex this way. Why he seemed so serious about it. Surprising himself completely, Gil found himself unable to keep form trusting someone with that much worry for him. But even so, Gil felt it was going too fast and shook his head frantically.

"I _do_ trust you, Ivan, but I'm not ready for this. Please, I'm begging you; let me go. Untie me." All Ivan seemed to hear from Gil's words was "I do trust you" and his answer was given with the usual smirk.

"Nah, seeing you all defenseless and tied down is the best part, da?" Noticing Gil calming down, Ivan allowed himself to be facetious again.

"No! No "da"! It's degrading! It uncomfortable! It's-It's-Ah! W-Wait!" Torturously slow and light as a feather, Ivan ran his hands from where they had been resting on Gil's face, down his neck and chest, over his torso and stopped at the base of his already twitching member.

"I'll tease you until you're begging me to let you come." And with that, Ivan ran one index finger from base to tip, putting pressure on the slit at the top and receiving the cutest sounds from the boy tied to his headboard. Moving his hands to Gil's thighs, spreading them as far as they would go, Ivan bent his head, his eyes never leaving Gil's face. But instead of taking him into his mouth like Gil had been anticipating, Ivan simply began licking lightly and with as little force as possible; his lips sometimes brushing against the sensitive flesh. A few minutes of this and Gil was at his limit, the frustratingly slow and unsatisfyingly light touches driving him to madness. Surrendering all self-control, he began pleading between heated pants.

"Ba…Bastard…Nh! Pl-Please, sto-STOP! Stop teasing! Although he was still struggling against his bonds, Gil found himself fighting for freedom for an entirely different purpose. Where he had been struggling to put distance between himself and Ivan, now he did so – not to escape – but so he could grab the back of the damn Russian's head and force him to give a proper blow job. Chuckling, the air from his speech blowing over Gil and making him shiver in anticipation; Ivan said softly.

"Frustrating, isn't it? I told you before what it would take for me to let you come. You can beg for it, can't you?" Gil's head fell back in frustration as Ivan resumed his torture; a pitiful whimper sounding in his throat before the words tumbled from his trembling lips.

"PLEASE! Pl-Please; I'm begging you!"

"For what?" Gil's already-red face deepened in color at the humiliation of his next mumbled words.

"Please…let me come…"

"I didn't catch that. Speak louder."

"Please let me come!" With a flick of his tongue on the head of Gil's trembling organ, Ivan continued harassing the helpless boy.

"Tell me what you want. I wish to hear you say it."

"Wha-What?" Gil's eyes were glazing as Ivan ran one finger lightly around the base of his shaft, travelling down to cup his balls gently.

"Tell me what you wish me to do to your body. In detail." Contact stopped altogether as Gil fought desperately against his body's needs. After a few moments of soft whimpers, Gil gave in.

"P-Please…Put my dick in your mouth…"

"And?"

"And," The word came out a despairing sob, "Suck on it…"

"Until?"

"…Until I come…"

"Sorry, didn't catch that."

"SUCK MY DICK UNTIL I COME, DAMMIT!" Gil's scream reverberated around the room, followed by Ivan's amused laughter.

"Good boy." And with that, Gil was given what he had asked for, the warmth of Ivan's mouth engulfing him in one quick movement. _'I didn't expect it to be such a mouthful; he's still only about half my size, though.'_ Ivan thought as he sucked, licked and tugged Gil to his climax. Unable to control himself any longer, Gil heard his own heated sounds echoing around the room; he hadn't known he could make such noises. _'This never happened with Lud…Guh, I sound like such a slut…'_ Pleasure prickling through his abdomen, Gil arched his back, thrusting into the mouth above him as he came. Ivan sat back up, wiping some white liquid off the corner of his mouth; licking his finger of the bitter substance. Staring down at the panting, sweaty mess below him, Ivan found himself unable to wait any longer. _'I just have to make sure I loosen him up really good first.'_ He thought, lifting Gil's hips off the mattress. Reaching up, Ivan slipped two fingers into Gil's slack mouth; getting grunts of confusion and anger mumbled around the digits.

"These fingers are going to be in you in a minute; you better make sure they're nice and lubricated." A salty taste flooded Gil's mouth as Ivan moved his fingers against his tongue; slipping them underneath it to dip into the pools of saliva that had formed there. A thread-thin trail of spit ran from Gil's lips to Ivan's retreating fingers as he removed them. One hand keeping Gil's legs apart, Ivan placed the tip of one finger against his entrance; building the suspense as he rubbed gently. Before Gil could muster the strength to protest, the finger had thrust forward suddenly, slipping easily inside due to the saliva coating it. Eyes snapped open from where they had been screwed shut in dreadful anticipation; Gil could not stop the torrent of cries as Ivan began pushing against his inner walls.

"AH! W-WAIT!" Panting heavily, Gil moaned between labored breathes; the odd sensation hurting less and less as Ivan continued the steady rhythm. After a few minutes, Ivan felt Gil relax slightly around the digit inside him; the moans changing from pained to just uncomfortable.

"How does it feel?" Ivan asked as he pushed another finger in to join the first.

"Hah…feels…feels weird…I can't…can't-Ah!" Digging deeper, Ivan felt the small nub that was the prostrate; nudging it and making the body under him writhe and twitch.

"How about now?" Ivan was not surprised when Gil was unable to answer; unintelligible wails being the only sounds he could make. Continuing to twist and push his fingers, Ivan took hold of Gil's sex once more; pumping in time with his thrusting hand.

Gil was on the verge of insanity. With every movement, white-hot pleasure mixed with pain shot up his spine and back down to his erection, which was screaming to be touched again. Feeling Ivan's hand wrap around the needy organ sent him over the edge, the pressure in his stomach releasing in trindles of white; his screams bouncing off the walls.

"Wow, again already? Be careful Gilbert, or I may start to think you're enjoying this."

"F…Fuck you-NN!"

"I believe it is me who will be fucking you." Ivan said lightly, removing his fingers and using his hands to spread Gil's legs farther still; scooching forward so they could not close. Bending forward, Ivan planted a kiss on Gil's forehead, his true feelings shining through his mask of deviance with the gentle touch. Sitting back up, however, his smirk widened, his words playful yet absolute.

"I'll give you a choice. Do you want to do it like this, in doggie style or do you want to ride me? Choose." Feeling spent and tired, Gil longed for the 'none of the above' option, not knowing what would happen if he did not answer.

"No more…please don't…no more…"

"Now now, Gilbert, don't be selfish. I haven't come once…I guess I'll just have to play with you some more until you decide." A finger was inserted again and Gil tried desperately to hold in his screams.

"I wonder if someone as inexperienced as you can come with just your ass? It's not likely, but we'll find out if you don't answer me quickly." Feeling another erection growing despite his exhaustion, Gil bit his lip, attempting to stay quiet. But that ended when Ivan pressed that magical spot inside him, the words flooding from his mouth in a series of screams.

"NYAA! I DON'T CARE! JUST _DO IT!_ AH! Stop with the teasing!" Ivan smirked at the answer.

"Are you sure about that? I would much rather sit back and enjoy watching you ride me, but that would take a lot of work on your part. Are you up for it?" the finger once again removed, Gil could not help the empty, needy feeling growing inside him.

"I don't care…Do whatever you want…"

"Alright." '_But you'll regret that statement later.'_ Ivan was not even sure if his little virgin knew what riding was. The only sexual contact he had been exposed to, after all, was his equally-as-ignorant brother. Leaning over Gil, he untied the section of scarf tied to the headboard, leaving his wrists bound, but movable. Gil brought his arms down, feeling the kinks in his muscles from the extended period in that uncomfortable position. But before he could relax, Gil felt a rough hand slide behind his neck, lifting him up along with an arm around his waist. In a flash of movement, Ivan became the one propped up by the pillows, both hands resting on Gil's waist as the smaller boy straddled him. A look of extreme confusion befell Gil's face.

"What…What is this?" '_I knew it. How naïve…'_ Ivan thought, his suspicion about Gil's ignorance proven right.

"This is riding. You sit on it and move your hips," Ivan patiently explained. "You said it was my choice." He added at the shocked look on Gil's face.

"But that's impossible! I didn't know-huh?" Sitting on Ivan's lower stomach, his bound hands resting on chiseled abs, Gil was suddenly very aware of the bulge in the boxers running quite a ways up his back, making him blush furiously.

"Now pull down my boxers." Ivan said with that same slow patience. Gil swallowed a few times, his throat suddenly very dry. Part of him was screaming protests, but the other part – the part Ivan had aroused back into desperate neediness a moment ago – seemed to be taking over. Gil rose himself to his knees, backing down Ivan's legs and gripping the waistband of his boxers as best he could with his restrained hands. Shaking arms removed the fabric, the sight of Ivan's naked body lying before him making Gil gape in shock. It was not unnaturally large – although quite a few sizes bigger than Gil's own – but the thought of it being inside of him sent shivers of anticipated pain up Gil's spine. Hands curling around his waist snapped Gil out of his daze, strong arms pulling him back up to Ivan's hips. A dawning of remembrance flashed in Ivan's eyes.

"Hold on a minute." Ivan reached for the dresser next to his bed, opening the draw closest to him from his laid-down position. Returning his arm to the bed, Gil saw he had a purple bottle in his hand which he quickly popped the top off of.

"Hold out your hands." Gil's hesitation caused Ivan to grab a hold of the end of the scarf, yanking playfully and jerking the body astride him forcefully forward. Before Gil could ask any questions, a copious amount of clear gel had been deposited into his palms and he looked down at it in confusion. '_Wow, he doesn't even know what this is…'_

"That's lube. Spread it on my dick and it will make the process easier for you."

"O-Okay…" Ivan was enjoying how obedient his captive had suddenly become.

A nervous terror flooded Gil as his hands reached towards the large organ under him. Transferring the goo from his hands to Ivan's skin despite his bound wrists, Gil soon had the entire appendage coated. Looking across the bed at Ivan's smiling face, Gil felt the terror showing in his expression; knowing his time for stalling was quickly coming to an end. Hands tightened around his hips and Ivan helped position Gil over his target; the smaller, now moist hands coming to rest on his stomach once more.

Gil flinched as the tip pressed against him; knowing from that one touch that it was not going to be easy. Easing his hips down, eyes squeezed shut and a small voice moaned as the pressure increased.

"It's…not going in…" Instead of an answer, Ivan began pushing gently on the waist he was guiding; attempting to help him down.

"No! S-Stop, don't do tha-Ah!" A portion finally sliding through, Gil felt his insides stretching, struggling to accommodate the unusual intrusion. His body trembling uncontrollably, Gil made pitiful sounds as he slowly adjusted; the pain ever so slowly receding.

"Gilbert…that was only the tip. Keep going." Gil's eyes flashed open at these words. Did he really expect more to fit?! The fingers around his waist tightening, Gil felt his body consume an inch or so more of Ivan; the pain returning with a vengeance.

"AH! N-NO! Don't make me, please! I can't…not like this! Please!" Gil collapsed onto Ivan's chest as sobs wracked his quivering form, lifting himself off of the source of his pain in the process. For the second time that night, Ivan lost control of his facilities, the combination of that tight heat that had been so close to engulfing him and the adorably pitiful whimpers of the boy on top of his body snapping Ivan into the primal version of himself that he rarely let show.

With a bestial growl sounding in his ear, Gil was flipped roughly off of Ivan, landing on his stomach against the mattress. Horrifyingly forceful hands gripped Gil's hips from behind and lifted his lower half into the air.

"I-Ivan, what are you doin-GAAAAAAAH! NAH! NA-NO!" Before Gil could even think of an escape, Ivan's lubricated member was thrusting into him faster than he thought possible; each time hitting that spot inside that sent twitching pleasure to Gil's own organ along with the ripping agony that shot up his spine with each rough movement. Finally getting what he had waited so patiently for, Ivan could not stop himself from using every ounce of his strength; knowing even while he was pounding away that his actions were terrible and would have major consequences for Gilbert later. But the only thing that mattered now was that this boy was his and god did his body feel good. Worry mixed with the intense pleasure Ivan was feeling as the echoing wails began to die into faint groans; he was not sure if it was from Gil's body getting used to his own or if the boy under him was simply passing out. Ivan hoped it was former.

"…I'm coming, Gilbert…" Wishing to climax together, Ivan gripped Gil's member; a feeling of relief mixing with the euphoria as the whimpers accumulated into more heated pleasure-sounds.

The pain melted away as waves of ecstasy rolled over Gil, the most powerful climax he had ever experienced. For the third time that night, white erupted form Gil; his stomach tightening as the liquid fled his body. With a few low grunts and forward thrusts, Ivan's seed began flowing inside its clenching sheath; causing an uncomfortably full feeling to grow in Gil's body. The last thing Gil was conscious of before passing out was the large appendage slipping out of his abused entrance.

Lowering Gil's limp form slowly onto the mattress, Ivan opened up the unconscious boy's body, grabbing a box of tissues off the dresser and assessing the damage. As he had been afraid of, his excessive force had torn something; though it was not quite as bad as Ivan had expected. Blood mixed with his semen was running slowly out of the pink and swollen hole; red mixing with white and deluding the ruby color. Using the tissues, Ivan cleaned up as best he could; wiping himself off after finishing with Gilbert.

Cleaned as much as possible without showers and new sheets, Ivan crawled, exhausted, next to his unresponsive toy; noticing for the first time the cold air around them and pulling the thick quilts around their cooling bodies once more. Arms curling around the steadily breathing chest beside him, Ivan prayed before slipping into unconsciousness himself that Gilbert would not be too angry or sore when he woke up.


	9. Chapter 9

"…van…Ivan…IVAN, YOU PRICK! Wake up!" Ivan opened his eyes groggily at the angry-but-hoarse yells. Before he could utter a word, the furious boy laying beside him continued his strained proclamations.

"You forgot to untie me, bastard!" Eyes adjusted to the morning light streaming through the window, Ivan sat up only to have a pair of bound wrists thrust into his face. Chuckling softly, he quickly undid the knots.

"Sorry." No response was given as Gil rubbed his raw wrists and looked apprehensively at Ivan.

"So…What happened last night?" Ivan had not been sure what he was expecting, but _that_ had definitely not been it.

"…Do what?"

"I remember not being able to…to r-ride you, then everything goes black. What happened?" Ivan considered lying and saying they simply both fell asleep, but knew that fib would shatter as soon as Gilbert attempted to get up and discovered he could not walk.

"I…lost control. Used way too much force. You were conscious and screaming the whole time, though; you passed out after we…finished." Gil gaped, a dazed expression on his face.

"So, we actually…?"

"Da." Gil's face immediately became clouded with some unknown emotion and Ivan was certain he would tell him he never wanted to see him again.

"So…how was it?" Again, Ivan was dumbfounded.

"Do _what_?!" He saw a flush grow on Gil's face.

"Was I good? Was I bad? Did I do something wrong? How was it?" Gil looked down at the bedspread as he spoke, his adorable face captivating Ivan as he averted his embarrassed gaze. '_How could he be doubting himself?'_ In a flash, Ivan's arms were around Gil in a gentle embrace; whispering quietly into his ear.

"Gilbert, you were amazing. I should be the one asking you those questions; me being the one who forced you." Smiling weakly, Gil replied.

"It was really scary at first – and I'm sure if I could remember the end, I'd be more terrified than I am – but I'm glad it was with you; even if it didn't go all that smoothly. When…When you t-touch me…it…I've never felt that way before…" Gil stumbled over the words he knew he needed to express but lacked the eloquence to put into a coherent sentence. He wished he could tell Ivan the exact sensation those calloused fingers caused in him but, afraid of rejection and ridicule, only a lack-luster summery escaped him. Ivan's face became a combination of pleasure, surprise and disbelief.

"You're not angry? You must be in pain."

"Ooooooh, yeah, the lower half of my body is _killing_ me, but…it was worth it…" Ivan never thought in a million years that he would hear those words from Gilbert's mouth, the joy they created threatening to explode inside him. Lunging forward, Ivan crushed Gil's lips in a deep kiss, the pair falling sideways back onto the pillows. Breaking the contact, Gil said with a few labored breathes.

"You know I won't be able to do anything like that again for quite a while, right? I'm gonna need a few days to recover from this."

"Da, I know. Let's just lay together like this for a while, alright?"

"…Okay."

…

The weeks passed quickly, every Friday ending up in Ivan's bedroom and leading to a very tiring weekend. Gil soon became accustomed to the routine, though he was always exhausted and sore on Mondays. The situation with Ludwig calmed and the relationship with Ivan stabilizing, Gil allowed himself to sink into a state of comfortable bliss; everything in his life seeming to pan out. Walking back from lunch, Ivan and Gil spoke quietly so no one else could hear.

"You really don't have to do that anymore, Ivan. I may resist at first, but I let you do what you want; so give it a rest with the bondage." They were on their fourth weekend sharing a bed and Ivan still insisted on tying the weaker boy down. It was doing weird things to Gil's head; every time he saw the purple scarf chills would run up his spine; his face flushing with arousal and embarrassment. So, basically, it got to where he was turned on every time he saw Ivan, who wore the strip of wool constantly.

"But that's the best part." Ivan stated bluntly with that creepy smile that so suited him. Gil had also begun to notice something odd about Ivan; well, more than what was obviously off. In public, more specifically, with clothes on, Ivan was very reserved, keeping his sentences and answers short and vague. But when the pair was alone he seemed to open up more; talking freely and explaining himself in more depth. '_I guess he's starting to trust me…'_ Gil figured that was the only reason for Ivan's actions. '_But what makes him so weary of everyone else?'_ With a deep sigh, Gil replied to the conversation-ending answer.

"Well, it makes me feel uncomfortable." Ivan merely chuckled, his face seeming to say that was the reason he enjoyed it. Halting at his locker, Gil quickly put in the combination; ready to throw his lunchbox in and run to his next class. A flash of white caught his eye and he watched as a small envelope dropped to the floor; looking as if its contents held some weight. Ivan looked from the paper on the floor to Gil quizzingly, an unspoken question in his violet orbs. Stooping to pick it up, Gil explained.

"Lud, Kiku and I communicate this way sometimes. Kiku's probably cancelling or moving the location of training; or Lud's spending the night at Venny's or something. I'll read it later; we have to hurry to class." Ivan knew instantly that something was wrong. He had been to Gil's locker countless times and had seen the messages from Gil's brother and friend. They had been small, folded slips of paper with a quick sentence scribbled inside; not an envelope that seemed to have quite a lot of something crammed inside. But Gil dashed away before he could say another word; the fact that Ivan's class was in the opposite direction keeping him from following.

The bell rang just as Gil took his seat; his muscles relaxing once the threat of being late was gone. Turning to the envelope resting on his desk, Gil wondered vaguely what it could be; it was not like anything he had ever received from Lud or Kiku before. Opening the flap, Gil peered in, pulling out some of the contents. The moment he saw what they were, he frantically thrust them back into their container, glancing quickly around to make sure no one else had seen. Jumping suddenly to his feet – stuffing the envelope in his jacket pocket – Gil ran out the door, yelling over his shoulder as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"I need to use the bathroom, it's an emergency!" Down the hall and in the restroom, Gil rushed into an open stall; locking the door behind him and sitting on the closed lid. _'What the _hell_ is this?!'_ Gil screamed in his head as he fumbled with the envelope again; emptying a stack of thirty to forty photographs into his shaking hand. Every position, every humiliating act Ivan had made him do over the past few weeks were plastered on the seemingly endless pile of pictures. Gil stared, horrified, at his own face; twisted in a mixture of agony and rapture. Hands tied above his head, behind his back, to his ankles; every restricting pose he had endured. And Ivan. Touching. Watching. Forcing. All was blatantly posted on the pages. Gil's heart skipped a beat, pumping ten times faster when it finally resumed its rhythm. Flipping the evidence over, Gil noticed that each picture had the same message hand-written on the back.

"_Room 3-15 after school. Or we get posted all over the building. Tell Ivan, and suffer the consequences. Come alone."_

'_Oh, shit.'_

_Sorry, this one is kind of short '^-^ but it's at a major focal point and I couldn't possibly add more without ruining the suspense :p Review if you wanna know who Gil's photographer is ;)_


	10. Extra: Romano and Antonio

Extra: Romano and Antonio

"Get _off_ of me, Tony!" Romano pushed Antonio away from him, his excessive force sending the older boy careening towards the grass. Sitting under their usual oak tree in the spacious schoolyard, Romano, Antonio and Francis were simply enjoying the sunlight; Romano attempting to tell his friends about the interesting events in detention. Antonio, sitting back up, pouted innocently at the angry freshmen.

"But Roma…You're so cute…" Francis, who had been listening intently before the interruption, snapped.

"Shut up, Tony. What were you saying, Romano? Something about Gil?" Francis's frantic speech received odd looks from the other boys, Romano continuing hesitantly.

"…Wow, okay dude. Calm down. Anyway, Gil and I were talking in detention and guess what. He's totally with Ivan." Romano smirked at the wide-eyed stares, satisfied by the surprised reactions.

"Wait. By "with", do you mean _with_ with?" A look of annoyance crossed Romano's features at Antonio's inarticulate question.

"I mean that Ivan's gonna be fuckin' that ass in a matter of days, if not sooner. And Gil was _terrified_." Francis had been silent since the news and whispered in a detached voice.

"Gil…and Ivan?" Another series of concerned looks.

"Yeah, and soon too, from what Gil was saying about him. Said he was being all pushy and shit."

"I gotta go." Tossing his long, curly platinum locks away from his face, Francis hopped up, walking briskly away without a single word of explanation. Sighing in exasperation, Romano leaned his head back against the trunk behind him; enjoying the tint of green shining through his closed lids from the sun-kissed leaves. Despite the relaxing atmosphere, Romano's voice was angry-sounding per usual with his next words

"Jeez, why doesn't he just tell us already?" Antonio slid closer to Romano, winding an arm around the slightly smaller boy's shoulders and leaning back himself.

"I don't think he knows it himself yet."

"Wow, that's a whole new level of dense."

"Love is complicated." Romano opened his eyes a slit, peering out of the corner of his eye at Antonio.

"Slow down. Can Francis's infatuation really be classified as love?"

"Si. He just has a strange way of showing it."

"Yeah, I kinda feel bad for Gil, having to put up with us."

"Some people don't know how to express their feelings, but that's not the case with us. Right, mi gatitio bonito?"

"Don't call me that." Romano said angrily, pushing Antonio away and refuting the Spaniard's earlier statement completely. But instead of backing off like before, Antonio positioned himself around Romano, pinning him against the large tree trunk. With a sly smile he asked.

"So what did you tell Gil of our relationship? He couldn't have been the only one delving out information in the conversation." Romano blinked in surprise at the sudden change of subject, halting in his struggles. Antonio loved the look on his face when caught off guard.

"I told him the first time was gonna hurt like hell." Antonio felt his face fall into a dejected pout.

"Aw, don't go scaring little virgins. Was your first time really that bad?" Romano's answer was loud and irate.

"Yes! You had _no idea_ what you were doing! No preparation, no lube; you just stuck it in. It hurt like HELL! I just hope – for Gil's sake – that Ivan's more informed than you were." Bringing their faces closer together, Antonio whispered mischievously.

"But we learned quickly, no?" Looking down at the grass, Romano muttered.

"Yeah…It doesn't hurt that bad anymo-Whoa! What the _hell_ are you doing?!" Romano jumped as a hand was placed on his crotch; the simple touch making his pants feel rather tight. No reply was given as Antonio began lightly kissing his face; cheek, forehead, eyelids, corner of the mouth and finally a full kiss on eager lips. Hearing the sound of his zipper unfastening, Romano broke the contact, saying in a flustered whisper.

"Antonio, we're in public!" The answer was whispered into his jaw line, followed by a quick pinch of skin in teeth.

"Then you better keep quiet." Romano grasped the fabric of Antonio's long-sleeved shirt, attempting to push it away as the strength leaked out of his trembling body. His hands began moving back and forth as they clung to Antonio's stroking arm.

"Sto…p…P-Please…What if…What if someone sees?"

"It's after school, everyone is leaving. Just relax." Antonio purred, enjoying staring at Romano's strained and panting face.

"No…stop…sto-hah…" Romano's legs shifted apart involuntarily as his fingers dug into Antonio's arm through the shirt.

"T-Tony…"Noticing Romano's rising volume, Antonio swept his eyes around the deserted courtyard to make sure they did not have an audience. A flash of movement caught his eye, but when Antonio focused on the spot the doorway was empty. _'If someone was there, they left._' Antonio shrugged his shoulders and returned his full attention to the sweating body at his fingertips. Just as he turned around Romano came, his muscles clenching as white stained the grass between them. He tried desperately to keep his voice down with limited success. '_His noises are so much sexier when they're muffled.'_ Antonio smiled as Romano slowly came back to his senses; a scowl on his features.

"Ugh. My body feels filthy…"

"You have a change of clothes at my place. Shall I carry you, Gatito?"

"Hell no. I can stand on my own. And stop calling me that, damn it. What does it even mean?" _'All this time I've been calling him that and he didn't even know…'_

"Little Cat." Antonio said with a smile as he helped Romano buckle his pants and get to his feet. Romano gave him a blank, questioning stare.

"…Why?"

"Because your long limbs remind me of a cat…And you mewl like una gata in heat when I touch you." Antonio loved the mortified look that swept over Romano's face.

"Shut up, prick." He muttered as they made their way out of the courtyard, Antonio's hand firmly clasped around his love's.


	11. Chapter 10

Gil stood staring at the nameplate of room 3-15, mind reeling and adrenaline pumping through his tense body. _'Who is on the other side of this door?'_ Even with that question bouncing around his skull, Gil found that his hand was having trouble grasping the doorknob. _'…Ugh, this is embarrassing…'_ Finally building up the nerve to open the door, Gil stepped cautiously into the dark room. The moment the wooden surface reconnected with its frame, a great weight slammed into Gil. Unable to make out the person attacking him through the dim lighting, Gil's training took over. Kiku had drilled him this way before; blindfolding him and grabbing his arm. Gil then had to use that one touch to feel his way to the points he needed to disarm his attacker. Gil smiled in the dark room when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. Following the limb back to its source, Gil's fingertips never leaving the other's skin, he quickly found the neck. In a series of swift movements, Gil chopped where he knew the carotid artery to be, sending the aggressor toppling to the floor. As his opponent fell, Gil gripped the unknown wrist; twisting the arm at an odd angle to prevent the form from rising again. Gil's eyes adjusted to the darkness just as a familiar voice laughed below him, exposing the identity of his blackmailer. Although his voice was laced with pain, Francis still managed to sound arrogant when he spoke.

"I would let me up if I were you. Unless you want those photos posted all over town." Gil gaped down at his bully with wide eyes, he did not know who he had been expecting, but it most definitely had not been this malicious, blonde haired boy. Reluctantly, Gil released his hold, backing away as Francis stood and stretched his sore arm and neck.

"What the hell do you want?" Gil asked angrily. A fist connected suddenly with his cheek bone, sending Gil reeling to the side with a loud cracking noise.

"Not much." Francis said lightly, kneeing Gil in the chest and sending him sprawling on the floor.

"If I had known you were so easy…" Through the pain, Gil faintly heard the clinking of metal, feeling the handcuff snap around his wrist but having no time to react.

"…I would have gone after you much sooner." With three more series of rapid clicks, Gil was completely restrained, kneeling at Francis's feet with his wrists cuffed to his ankles. Looking up, eyes full of anger, fear and confusion, Gil asked indignantly.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Stooping down in front of his captive, Francis got within inches of Gil's face and the trapped boy turned his head to the side as warm breath hit his skin.

"Anyone who can tie you down can fuck you, right? That's how it works for Ivan." Gil felt his face grow hot with a mixture of fury and humiliation.

"Ivan is completely different from anyone else, asshole." The response was another punch – this time to the stomach – making Gil bow as the air was expelled from his lungs. Looking up through eyes clouded with pain, Gil thought he might have seen an angry, almost sad expression on Francis's face; but the darkness made him unsure. If there had been sadness in Francis, it did not penetrate his tone; for, when he spoke, it was the same conceited drawl.

"I really don't care. Either way, you're gonna be my slut too from now on." Gil stared at Francis as if he had grown another head.

"….What?!" Gripping his face in one hand, Francis forced Gil to make eye contact, a sick joy burning in his eyes.

"That's right. You're gonna let me do whatever I want to you. That's how blackmail works. Besides, there's not much you can do in this state anyways…"

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_Quick warning from a concerned author ^-^' If you don't like rough sex or get queasy when the seme doesn't bust in at the last minute to save his uke, i don't recommend the continuation of this chapter. You really don't need to read the rest to understand the plot. The only thing you need to really know is that Gil is forced into giving a blowjob; and i only say that because it is significant later in the story. Again. if you can't handle psychological turmoil of an uninterrupted rape scene, DO NOT READ FURTHER. I've even uploaded the next chapter early so you can skip ahead ^-^_

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Gil felt his eyes widen even further at this statement, confusion overriding the fear.

"Why would you want to do this with _me_?! I'm not a woman." Francis had always struck Gil as straight, none of his action up till this point had ever hinted towards homosexuality. _'Then again, Ivan and I don't _act_ like the stereotypical gay couple either…'_ Gil was snapped out of his thoughts, however, by the sound of a belt unbuckling. The terror of the situation came flooding back to him as Gil felt a hand grabbing a fistful of his hair, his body being bent forward and face brought alarmingly close to Francis's crotch. Never having received an answer to his question, Gil asked again, his voice more frantic than before.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" But Francis remained silent, a hard, emotionless expression adorning his handsome features. Undoing the button of his jeans, Francis brought his other hand to tangle in Gil's hair as well, pulling him down to where his nose brushed the fabric. In a cold voice that was so different from his cocky attitude minutes before, he stated.

"Open the zipper with your teeth." Gil screwed his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the premonition of what he was about to do; bile rising in his throat at the disgusting images. But Francis was persistent and, with an impatient yank on his hair, Gil was forced t open his eyes and do as he was told. Gripping the zipper between chattering teeth, Gil moved his head down, noticing with an embarrassed blush that shifting his weight had forced his ass into the air, the bonds on his wrists and ankles straining as he fought against them. The fabric parted to reveal navy blue boxers and Gil simply stared, unwilling to continue. With another painful jerk, what little patience Francis possessed growing thin, he demanded loudly.

"C'mon! You have to of figured out what you're gonna do by now. Quit staring and hurry up!" Gil slowly brought his mouth towards the dark fabric, noticing with a disgusted revelation the bulge straining against it. Pulling down once again with his teeth, Gil finally unearthed the object of his fear and revulsion, Francis's member springing out to stand at attention. '_At least it's not as big as Ivan's…'_ Gil thought, fighting to back his face away as the musky odor hit his nose. But the hands at his scalp yanked suddenly, plunging Gil forward, his lips crashing into the appendage. Gil moaned pitifully as his face was forced upward, his lips running up the shaft until they reached the tip. Francis's voice sounded again, seeming slightly more labored than before.

"I've seen you do this for Ivan to get him hard; you didn't seem to like it very much then either. Is that why he would always stop you in the middle? Finish it off in here instead?" The question was accented with Francis's hand moving form Gil's head to his pants, rubbing forcefully and causing Gil to jump at the unexpected touch; a surprised whimper escaping his tightly closed lips.

"Well, you're gonna get no such courtesy from me. I'm going to be the first man to ever come all over your face, slut. Now lick it." An image of Ivan consumed Gil's brain just as he decided to part his lips, causing unexpected tears to suddenly flood his eyes. Desperate to hide this from his rapist, he slammed his eyes shut; allowing his tongue to pass through his separated lips. A shudder of pure repulsion ran through him as his taste buds met skin; the flavor testing his gag reflex. The hand still in his hair pushed roughly again, forcing more of Gil's tongue to make contact with the smooth skin.

"You can do better than that. Lick harder." Having no choice but to obey, Gil became faster in his licking, his movements clumsy from inexperience (He had only given oral to Ivan once, and that had been after thirty minutes of coaxing and begging) A cry of alarm passed through his open mouth as Francis resumed stimulating Gil's entrance through his jeans. Retracting his tongue, Gil said, desperation in his voice.

"I'll do this for you, just please don't touch me th-Mff!" Gil's face was thrust forward, his lips forced to engulf the tip completely.

"Who said you could talk? Now suck. And if I so much as think I feel teeth, I'll post every picture of you I have." Gil groaned his protests as he was made to take more and more of Francis inside him. Knowing he would be punished if he did not, Gil sucked occasionally; focusing the rest of the time on keeping his teeth away from the organ in his mouth. The tremors and sparks that shot through his body when Ivan touched the spot Francis was roughly massaging were nowhere to be found and Gil found he had no trouble at all staying unaroused.

"Look up at me," Francis panted after a few minutes of silence, broken only by the occasional slurping noise. "I want to see those unnatural red eyes." Gil reluctantly turned his gaze upward. He used all his effort to pour every ounce of his hatred into that one eye-contact, but could still feel tears sliding down his cheeks to meet the saliva dripping from his chin. At the blatant malice in the stare, Francis's expression went from cocky smile to an angry glare. '_Wait. Is that…sadness?'_ But Gil's thoughts were ripped from the melancholy in Francis's blue eyes as, with one forceful thrust and pull of the hair, Gil was forced to take Francis's entire length, his nose wrinkling as it hit a patch of hair. Francis's voice was panted over Gil's muffled cries.

"Go deeper, I'm coming." With a few more frantic thrusts, Gil felt something warm hit the back of his throat. Waves of nausea rolled over him as the member slid out enough to get some of that sickening liquid on his tongue. Feeling it all coming back up, Gil attempted to bend over, slipping Francis out of his mouth in the process. But before he could eject the vomit-inducing substance from his body, the fist still clutching his hair pulled his face back up; keeping his mouth full of the revolting taste. Gil winced as he felt more warmth splatter on his face and hair as Francis finished. Chuckling crudely, he sneered.

"That's a good look for you. Very erotic. I have to add it to my collection." And, reaching behind himself and plunging an arm into his backpack, Francis turned back around with a very expensive-looking camera in his free hand. Gil began struggling with renewed force as the lens was focused on him, a blush growing on his skin as he fought against his bonds. A blinding flash went off and Francis laughed as he looked at the display screen.

"Wow, you look like such a whore, wanna see?" The screen was then thrown in front of Gil's eyes, his own likeness staring back at him. He felt the tears begin to flow again as he took in the sight of his flushed cheeks, half-closed and swollen eyes, the white spread all over his face and running out of his slightly open mouth in small streams.

"The next time Ivan's fucking you, I want you to remember this image and what a shameless slut you are." Gil could not hold back the whimpering sob that sounded around his mouthful of semen. Putting the camera away again, Francis leered down at his captive, an amused expression on his arrogant features.

"What, you haven't swallowed yet? I'm not letting you go until you drink every last drop." Gil screwed his eyes shut as Francis forced his jaws together with the hand not gripping his scalp. With a sickened shudder, Gil forced his throat to move, downing the substance in a few quick gulps. Wedging a finger in between trembling lips and peering inside the gaping mouth, Francis examined Gil to make sure nothing was left. Finally satisfied, he released both his hands' holds, allowing Gil to collapse onto the linoleum floor. The bound boy groaned his discomfort as he realized just how much his kneecaps hurt from supporting his whole weight on the hard surface.

"Alright. Let's see what the other end is capable of." Gil's eyes snapped open at those words, coming into focus just in time to see the room blur as rough hands spun him painfully around. Gil gave a cry of agony as his knees and joints screamed their protests at the jerky movements. A fresh wave of adrenaline flooded his system as Gil felt fingers slid under his pants line. Pulling as hard as he could against the handcuffs, Gil did not even feel the deep cuts caused by the metal digging into his wrists and ankles as he screamed.

"NO! NOT THERE! STOP! NONONONO-" Uncontrollable sobs wracked his shaking frame as Gil felt his pants slide down to gather at his knees, his boxers following close behind. Through the chaos clouding his terrified mind, Gil faintly heard Francis addressing him, although it sounded more as if he was muttering to himself.

"You're not as tight-looking as I imagined, but I guess I have Ivan to thank for that." Gil gasped as he felt a finger nudge at his entrance.

"I wonder how easily a dry finger will g-"

"_ATTENTION. The school will be closing in ten minutes. Any students not with an extracurricular activity teacher, please leave now, or you WILL be locked in."_ The two boys sat in silence for a few moments after the announcements ended. To Gil's immense relief, he felt the intruding finger disappear from his skin.

"Well, as tempting as it is to be locked in here all night with you, I gotta go." Gil felt keys unlocking the handcuffs as Francis continued.

"But don't worry; we'll pick up where we left off next time. When you get an envelope in your locker again, come to the same place, same time." A violent hand gripped his face and Gil was hauled into a sitting position.

"Do you understand? I want to hear you say it."

"…I-I understand."

"Good." Gil allowed himself to fall to the floor when Francis gave him a farewell punch, not even bothering to catch himself as his head connected with the ground. Silent tears escaped ruby-red eyes – one bruised and swelled shut – as Gil watched Francis gather his things and rush out the door.


	12. Chapter 11

Ivan felt worry inch into his chest. Sitting next to his Gilbert at a cafeteria table – taking in his dead expression and uneaten breakfast – Ivan fought to find the words with which to ask what was troubling him. It was not in his nature to pester someone else about personal matters, but Gilbert was different. Worth worrying about. And the way he was staring unseeingly at his orange juice was making the odd and unfamiliarly foreboding feeling in Ivan's chest swell a few sizes. But simply looking at Gilbert – no matter how worried he was – made Ivan feel…warmer somehow. He never wanted the feeling to leave again; he had felt cold for so long. Ivan's hand moved subconsciously, fingers yearning to touch the soft skin framed in silver hair. But there was something else about his Gilbert's face that was bothering him today. The reaction that met Ivan's fingertips making contact sent a flash of surprise through him, though he made sure the emotion did not reach his facial expression.

With a small whimper, Gilbert flinched heavily; his chin tucking into his collarbone and eyes closing with an almost pained furrow of the brow. Yet, even with the unusual reaction, Ivan continued his forward motion, Gilbert relaxing slightly at the gentle caress. Ivan once again fought for the words to articulate his feelings; communication had never been his strong suit.

"Something is wrong." It was not a question. Gilbert turned to face Ivan completely, bringing into view his severely blackened eye.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Gilbert lied, attempting to put some cheer into his voice and failing completely.

"Your eye." Ivan slapped himself mentally for not having anything better to say. At the mention of his injury, Gilbert turned once again to where only his profile was visible; the black eye vanishing behind his snow-slope nose.

"I fell." As the one that always stayed quiet and listened, Ivan was finding Gilbert's curt answers and long silences rather unsettling. '_is this how he feels around me all the time?'_ With that saddening thought burning in his mind, Ivan found he could do nothing but allow Gilbert's lying words to precede yet another lapse in conversation. His brain working quickly, Ivan pieced together a hypothesis. _'The only inconsistency that happened was yesterday's locker envelope; but he didn't seem too worried about it then. And I know that black eye was from a pretty powerful blow…is someone threatening him again? And if so, why wouldn't he just tell me?' _Determined to get more clues, Ivan ran his gaze over what he could see of Gilbert's body, attempting to uncover more injuries. He was just about to give up when Ivan noticed a portion of Gilbert's long-sleeved shirt raised up, exposing some of his wrist. Forgetting that it may scare the skittish boy beside him, Ivan quickly grabbed Gilbert's arm, ignoring the protests and running the sleeve up to reveal the skin underneath. Ivan could not control his expression as his eyebrows rose a bit in shock.

"….What is this?" Gilbert face immediately changed to the color of ripe apples; his arm straining against Ivan's much stronger hold.

"I got that when I fell, now get off of me!" Ivan stared at his Gilbert straight in the eye, this lie becoming one too many.

"No. This cut runs all the way around your wrist, Gilbert. There's no way you could get that from a fall." Gilbert's face crumpled into a mask of terror and incredible sadness. His eyes fell to stare at his legs and Ivan could see tears welling in them.

"…Plea-Please…Don't ask any more questions…" Grabbing his other arm, Ivan removed its covering as well, an identical mark residing there and proving Ivan's theory.

"Who's been hurting you, Gilbert?" Ivan saw Gilbert's down-cast eyes widen further, his gaze slowly raising to meet Ivan's, his swollen eye brimming with tears. His body began to tremble, his answer a shaky mutter.

"N-No-No one." As always, it appeared that sexual harassment was the only way to get a truthful answer out of this boy. Wrapping an arm around the small waist, Ivan pulled Gilbert closer, his other hand sliding up the slender thigh underneath the table. But instead of the usual indignant protest and half-hearted shove that always accompanied Ivan's public advances, Gilbert seemed to fold in on himself. His shoulders bent forward and head tilted as far away from Ivan's as possible. Where there was worry a moment ago, a cold dread consumed Ivan's chest. Misery was rolling off of his beloved in waves and Ivan found that he could not continue his usual game. Removing his hand from Gilbert's leg, Ivan was once again struggling to find the words to express his concern when the bell rang, telling the students to head to first period. Gathering his things and standing from the table, Gilbert turned to face Ivan with dead, emotionless eyes.

"C'mon, we have to get to class."

…..

Ivan walked quickly through the crowded hallway, heading to Gilbert's second period class to walk him to third. Ivan's class was on the other side of the building, but he found his Gilbert was worth the extra exercise. A hand firmly gripping his shoulder forced Ivan's feet to halt, his body being pulled into an empty corner of the hall. The boy attached to the brave hand on Ivan's shoulder caused mild surprise as recognition dawned. Ivan had only dealt with him once in person, the result being the first real beating he had endured since childhood. Ludwig's pale blue eyes were burning with anger and Ivan stared into them with very little emotion of his own.

"Whatever you're doing to Gil, stop it!" Ivan could not stop his surprise from flashing across his features, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

"Do what?"

"Don't act ignorant. You're the only one harassing him. It had to be you."

"And what exactly is it that I've done to Gilbert?"

"I don't know because he won't talk to anyone about it, but you did something to him yesterday that's making him act…well, not like himself." '_So his brother noticed it too.'_

"I did nothing with Gilbert yesterday except walk him to class." _'But he was acting strange this morning…'_ "Tell me what happened yesterday." Ludwig appeared a little taken aback by the urgent tone and Ivan could see doubt slowly clouding his features.

"Well…he came home late yesterday, even though Kiku said he never showed up for training. He looked…disheveled; his clothes looked like they had just been thrown on and his hair was a wreck. But the thing that bothered me the most was what he did. No greeting, no "hello", he ran straight to the bathroom. Then I heard him…throwing up, but when I asked what was wrong he just told me to leave him alone. After that it sounded like he brushed his teeth for about an hour, then he spent two in the shower. When he finally came out he rushed off to his room and wouldn't let me in or answer any of my questions. I just assumed you had done something perverted to him…" Ivan stared unseeingly at the wall behind Ludwig's shoulder; his mind quickly piecing the new information into his hypothesis and ignoring the insult in those last few words. _'Ludwig's right, he sounds like a rape victim. But why wouldn't he just tell someone?! Maybe blackmail?'_

"I think someone's hurting him. This morning at breakfast I found cuts on his wrists that could only be made from overly-tightened bonds." Ludwig's eyebrows shot up as he noticed the immense fury that was leaking out of Ivan's usual mask, all suspicion of his guilt disappearing at the murderous glare.

"Wow…If it's not you, then who is it? You were the only one I thought capable of hurting Gil." Ivan again ignored the jibe, his answer cut off by the bell declaring that he was now late to class.

"Tell me if Gilbert does anything else strange." Ivan said hurriedly. Suddenly remembering, he threw one last sentence over his shoulder to Ludwig's retreating back.

"Oh, and by the way, Gilbert thoroughly enjoys what _I_ do to him." Ivan wished he could see Ludwig's face as he hurried down the hallway, forgetting completely where he had been going before the interruption.


	13. Chapter 12

Lud paced quickly from one side of the living room to the other as he always did when stressed, a feeling of déjà vu surfacing as he glanced at Kiku who sat calmly on the couch. The small Asian spoke just as placidly as he always did in these situations.

"…This seems familiar…" Lud stopped his rhythm. '_So he noticed it too.'_

"Yeah, we were doing the same thing about a month and a half ago, waiting for Gil to come home." Quietly, he added, almost to himself, "Only this time it's not Ivan…" Kiku perked up at the murmur.

"Oh? And what made you disregard him as a suspect?"

"I spoke to him a few days ago. He doesn't show emotion well, but I could tell he was really worried." A silence lapsed as Kiku took in the new information, his eyes staring blankly into space as he thought. When he finally responded, not a muscle moved besides his mouth; his face frozen in its pondering expression.

"Gil has all these people worried about him but still won't tell a single one of us what's wrong. Even when Ivan was a problem he talked about it. What's keeping him silent this time?" Lud glared at the door, hoping the strength of his stare would will his brother to be there.

"I don't know, but he can't take much more of it. He never sleeps anymore and when he does it's nothing but nightmares. Do you know how many times I've had to wake him up because he was screaming these last few days?"

"When did that start?"

"Monday evening is when he started acting funny and it has just escalated from there. He came home on time Tuesday, but came home late Wednesday barely able to stand. And those cuts on his wrists keep getting deeper…He's wearing long sleeves to hide them, but that won't last long since it's starting to warm up."

"Does Ivan know all of this?"

"Yeah, he's the one that discovered the cuts. And I've been keeping him informed about the rest." Kiku's eyes remained unfocused as he contemplated.

"Well, this is going to come to a head soon." He said matter-of-factly. "Ivan isn't the type of person to roll over and give up just because Gil won't tell him anything. He will turn to drastic measures before long and find whoever is doing this. All we can really do now is wait and make sure Gil knows we're here for him." Lud flared at the words.

"No, I won't accept that! There's got to be something more we can-" Silence fell as Lud heard the front door click open. Turning quickly to face the new arrival, he froze at the sight of the figure standing in the doorway.

Glazed, half closed eyes stared hauntedly at the ground. Silver hair fell in disarray around a bruised and beaten face. The shirt was rumpled and hanging off one shoulder, exposing what looked like a deep bite wound on the pale flesh. The last straw for Lud, however, was the sight of his brother's belt unlatched and hanging loosely around his waist.

"Where the HELL have yo-Gil!" Shuffling through the doorway, Gilbert collapsed without a single word, his head making a sickening cracking sound when it met the ground. Rushing to his brother's limp form, Lud gathered Gilbert in his arms, turning him over and patting his face in an attempt to wake him. Kiku stood form the couch and made his way over to his friends, looking at and gauging Gilbert's injuries with a concerned expression. With a few frantic shouts and light slaps to the cheek, Gilbert slowly began to regain consciousness.

"Unn…Lud?" Red irises fought to see through obvious exhaustion as Gilbert focused groggily on his brother.

"Gil! What happened to you?!" The beaten and bloodied face immediately lost all emotion. The answer mechanical and unconvincing.

"Nothing…I'm just tired…" There was a short pause in which Lud rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but your face looks like it's been run over by a truck. Now, if you don't tell us who the bastard hurting you is, we can't help you." But before he could answer, Gilbert's eyes fluttered closed; his face relaxing as he slid back into unconsciousness.

"Godamnit." Lud muttered, lifting Gil off the ground and into his sure embrace.

"Are you going to contact Ivan?"Kiku asked quietly.

"Nah, I don't have his number. I'll just talk to him tomorrow. We need to plan. Whatever "drastic measures" he concocts, I want in."

* * *

_Sorry, this chapters kind of short :p I'm quickly losing my free time, but every moment I'm not doing schoolwork, I promise to work really hard at updating regularly!_


	14. Chapter 13

_Sorry for the wait, guys :p_

* * *

Ivan and Gilbert walked up the street to Ivan's house as they did every Friday, though the atmosphere was a great deal more tense. Ivan had barely been able to contain his rage at the sight of Gilbert's face that morning; a huge, purple welt now residing below the black eye. '_So the locker envelope is out of the picture, he hasn't gotten one since Monday.'_ The only major incident that day had been Ivan's conversation with Ludwig that morning. After he had seen the additional injuries, Ivan had sought the more masculine brother out; frantic to know what had happened. Apparently, Gilbert had collapsed, using the transparent excuse of "just being tired". Ivan had believed it just about as much as Ludwig had. But the most surprising part of their chat was what Ludwig had purposed.

"Why don't we work together?" Ivan had never worked _with_ anyone successfully before and had quickly but politely refused; escaping before Ludwig could protest further. _'Did I make a mistake? Should I have collaborated with Ludwig? He was right, of course, I do have a plan. But a second person would just be a hinder.'_ And, on top of all of that, Gilbert's ordeal with his brother a few weeks back was still gnawing at the back of Ivan's mind, even if the pair acted as if nothing had happened. _'No matter how you look at it, that was a rape attempt. Do I want to work with someone who has threatened harm on the person needing protection?'_ Ivan was snapped out of his thoughts and back to reality by a small murmur.

"I'm sorry." Looking over, Ivan tilted his head slightly in an attempt to see his Gilbert's face. What he saw made the pressure that had been growing in his chest since Tuesday become even more monstrous. _'Why does he look on the verge of tears?'_

"What are you sorry for, Gilbert?" Ivan saw the one blood-red eye he could see grow wider, as if Gilbert had not known or had not meant to say the apology out loud. There was a long pause broken only by the sound of his footsteps on the grass.

"I've been kinda distant lately…" Words once again failed Ivan as he struggled with his response. Instead of speaking, Ivan closed the distance between their arms, taking the smaller hand in his own. Gilbert stiffened slightly – as if he expected pain – and Ivan felt the muscles in his fingers twitch against his own. But, after the initial moment of tension, Gilbert seemed to relax slightly, his shoulders slouching and a deep sigh passing through his lips. Ivan finally spoke as they made it to the front door of his house.

"Your behavior lately resembles that of a scared bunny." The indignant retort that followed relieved Ivan greatly; it was the first time Gilbert had done anything resembling himself since the beginning of the week.

"I am not!" I've just been tired recently." The rest of the afternoon was filled with similar playful jibes that slowly returned Gilbert to his sarcastic, strong-willed self. Before long, the pair was debating and talking as they always had, all tension between them lost in the joy of being together. Cautiously, Ivan began to inch closer, careful not to break the comfortable atmosphere; and, after a while of silently listening and scooting across the floor, Gilbert said hotly.

"I'm not blind, you know. You're terrible at being subtle." Ivan chuckled at the truth in the statement, closing the rest of the space between them in one swift movement. Taking Gilbert's chin gently in his hand, he whispered into the slightly pink ear.

"You're right. I find the direct approach much more satisfying." Ivan heard a small gasp as his hand drifted underneath Gilbert's shirt. But just as things were becoming heated, the body pressing against his stiffened. Gilbert stood from the floor at the speed of light, a look of terrified remembrance on his face.

"Hold on a minute." He said, walking briskly towards the only window on the other side of the room. Grabbing the string in a frantic grip, Gilbert released the blinds; the room dimming slightly as the sunlight was blocked out. Clutching a curtain in each hand, Gilbert then pulled them forcefully closed, standing very still with his shaking fists full of the dark cloth. Standing himself, Ivan made his way over, putting a hand on his Gilbert's tense shoulder.

"Gilbert, what are you-" Gilbert spun quickly around, a frenzied sentence interrupting his own.

"Keep these closed from now on!"

"…Okay…Might I ask why?" Gilbert then lowered his gaze to the floor, his voice losing its force and urgency.

"Just…Just don't open them, okay?" Ivan cupped Gilbert's uninjured cheek in his palm, gently forcing the ruby orbs to meet his own magenta. In that one look, Ivan attempted to pour all of the concern and worry he could not put into words into his expression, receiving a rather surprised look from the other boy. Leaning slowly forward, Ivan felt a tingle run through his limbs as their lips touched in the lightest, sweetest kiss he could remember. But, as he attempted to remove the barrier of clothes separating them, Ivan was taken aback by the firm hand that gripped his wrist, removing his exploring fingers from underneath Gilbert's shirt. The silver-haired boy seemed to have developed an aversion to eye contact, because his next words were directed, not at Ivan, but at the carpet at their feet.

"Not tonight. Please." Self doubt immediately rooted itself in Ivan's mind. _'Has he finally gotten up the courage to tell me he doesn't like it? Are my feelings unrequited?'_ But despite the turmoil raging in him, Ivan's next word was calm and emotionless.

"Why?" Gilbert shuffled his feet, still avoiding Ivan's gaze.

"Just don't make me…Not tonight…please…" Ivan heard the small voice break as Gilbert pleaded with him. Normally, at something like this, Ivan would make the most of the unwilling subject and deliver sweet pleasure until the same voice telling him to stop was begging desperately for him. But there was something about his face, the way he had been behaving recently, that made Ivan halt in his usual game and swallow his sadistic tendencies.

"Alright." At this, Gilbert finally looked up, shocked relief shining in his wide, scarlet eyes.

"Thank you so much Ivan." It seemed Ivan could not quash his sadism completely, for his next words were accompanied by the same smirk he always held when torturing his beloved. And he had to admit that the relief Gilbert showed at not having to have sex with him pissed Ivan off quite a bit.

"Oh, but don't even begin to think this gets you out of pleasuring me. Just because you're not in the mood doesn't mean I'm not. I don't care what you use, but some part of your body is making me come tonight." Gilbert's face drooped a bit at this, but was quickly replaced with resigned acceptance.

"'Kay, but my clothes are staying on." '_Well, there's my challenge for the night; I wonder how much teasing it will take to get him to strip-tease for me?'_ Ivan smiled at the image of his fantasy-Gilbert slowly removing his shirt – his hips swaying to the background music – as he sat down on the edge of the bed; slipping off his jacket and scarf so they would not get soiled. Looking up at Gilbert expectantly, Ivan could not contain his shock as Gilbert lowered himself onto his knees in front of him. Completely captivated by Gilberts' bold display, Ivan watched, his eyes trained to every movement.

Using only his teeth – his hands resting on Ivan's thighs – Gilbert undid the button and zipper of the jeans in front of him. Afraid that speech would shatter the gorgeous illusion; Ivan fought his questions and allowed Gilbert to release his erection from where it had been pushing against his underwear. Warm and moist, Ivan felt a tongue rub swiftly against the tip; sending a wave of pleasure up his spine. As he was taken deeper and deeper into the pool of warmth, Ivan became unable to contain his voice.

"Hmm…Gilbert…" The wispy strands of silver hair felt amazing between Ivan's fingers, his eyes closing and head tilting back at the slowly building climax. The vibration of a moan caused Ivan to twitch and he looked down to take in more of the fantastic view.

Something was wrong.

"Gilbert. Gilbert, stop and look at me for a second." But the boy seemed beyond hearing. Red eyes wide and terrified; trembling fists clutched at Ivan's jeans as tears streamed down Gilbert's face in torrents. But, even with the obvious distress, Gilbert's mouth continued to move and Ivan found himself fighting the impending crash.

"Gil…bert-hah stop…what's wrong?" The hands running through Gilbert's hair began to pull back as Ivan felt himself lose control; the only answer to his question coming in the form of another moan that sounded alarmingly like a muffled sob. It appeared as if Gilbert was in some sort of terror-induced trance.

"Gilbert, stop! Take it out before I-Nh!" Ivan fought in vain to get his member out of the mouth that refused to stop. And, just as Ivan had resolved to do whatever it took to keep from coming in his beloved's face, Gilbert thrust sporadically forward, encasing Ivan's entire member inside the insanely pleasurable walls. The shock of the sudden deep throat allowed Ivan no time to fight his climax and, with one low groan, he felt sweet release flow through his stomach and out of his switching sex. Right into Gilbert's mouth.

When Ivan came back to his senses, Gilbert was still holding his spent member inside his lips. Worry gnawed at Ivan's chest as he gently pulled at Gilbert's hair. Unlike earlier attempts, he allowed his face to be backed away, though the same unfocused stare and uncontrollable tears were still etched into his features.

"It's okay, Gilbert. Spit it out." Ivan whispered gently as he noticed Gilbert's full mouth. But instead of ejecting the substance from his body as he was told, Ivan saw Gilbert's throat move and his eyes widened in surprise as he realized that his seed was being swallowed. Without warning, Gilbert was wracked with a series of lung-shattering coughs and Ivan knelt next to him where he had collapsed to his hands and knees. Gripping Gilbert's shaking shoulders; Ivan attempted to steady him as he continued to gag. Looking into his face, Ivan saw an almost maddened terror in the wide, ruby eyes as the coughs faded into hyperventilation. No matter what Ivan said, Gilbert seemed to have lost the ability to process the reality around him. Between rattling breathes, Ivan could make out a few words.

"…I…can't…I-I'm sorry-" Ivan tightened his grip as Gilbert stiffened, his mouth gaping as his body rejected the ingested substance. After a few minutes of retching, come mixed with stomach acid and little else drenching the floor (_'He's not eating like he should….'_), Gilbert seemed to lose himself completely.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm sorry…P-Please-I tried, I'm sorry…I tried…I'm sorry…Please don't…don't…" Ivan had no idea what Gilbert was apologizing for or what he did not want him to do, but what he did know was that it was dangerous to allow Gilbert to continue like this. Drawing his hand back, Ivan brought it down on the side of Gilbert's face that was not already bruised, hitting him light enough to avoid injury but hard enough to snap him somewhat out of his insanity. Though he continued to sob, Gilbert's eyes finally focused, locking onto Ivan's face with a slightly less horrified expression.

"I…van?" A hand running through silver hair accompanied the response.

"Gilbert, what's wrong?" But before Ivan could even finish his question, Gilbert's eyes slid slowly into the back of his head, the lids closing as he collapsed into Ivan's arms. Picking the unconscious boy up with a sigh and placing him on the bed, Ivan grabbed a roll of paper towels from the supply closet a few hallways down and quickly cleaned up the vomit. Finishing with his job, Ivan then climbed into bed as well; removing his and Gilbert's shoes before covering them both with the quilts. Yet, even with the silent darkness, Ivan could not allow sleep to take him; his mind was in the process of formulating a plan as he lay awake with Gilbert tossing and turning in his embrace. _'I'm finding out who's doing this on Monday.'_


	15. Chapter 14

The rest of that weekend was filled with Ivan's questions and Gilbert's lies and refusals. So, of course, Ivan's mood was not the best as he argued with Ludwig Monday morning.

"I'll take care of it alone." He stated for what felt like the millionth time.

"But what if it's a group of people? Just think of me as extra muscle. Just in case."

"No. It would be too conspicuous." '_And I don't trust you.'_ Ludwig rolled his eyes at Ivan's response.

"And how is that?"

"We have never been seen walking or doing anything together. It would attract attention." Ivan turned on his heel before Ludwig could protest further.

"I'm not being late to class again because of you."

…..

Finding the head of silver hair in the after-school crowd was a simple task for Ivan. Keeping a good distance back, he stalked his prey through the teeming hallways. Gilbert had tried to hide it, but Ivan had seen the white envelope resting in the bottom of the other boy's locker before he had had a chance to snatch it away. And with the way he had acted the rest of the day, Ivan was fairly certain that it had signified another meeting with his jumpy toy's attacker.

Ivan widened the distance between them as Gilbert made his way to the back end of the school and the other bodies began to thin out. Before long, they were the only two in that part of the school and Ivan began lurking in empty doorways for cover. Finally making it to what Ivan guessed was the destination, he watched as Gilbert stood and stared at room 3-15. He could see Gilbert's hand shaking as it slowly reached for the handle and as soon as the door closed behind his beloved, Ivan sprinted over and placed his ear on the windowless wooden door. The first thing he heard was the distinctive clicks of handcuffs, followed by a cry of pain. Slightly muffled through the barrier, Ivan heard Gilbert speak.

"They're too tight!" The answer came in what sounded like a hard blow and Ivan heard another pained grunt. A low, French accent sounded next.

"Shut up." The shuffling sound of movement followed.

"W-Wait, not there…please…not there. I'll use my mouth, just please don't-NAH!" Another hit sounded, louder than the first.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! Unless you want your orgasming face plastered all over town, you'll do as I say. Now, spread your legs." Ivan heard a sob as he tested the door knob, a disappointing halt telling him it was locked. Slowly, he brought his foot up off the ground.

"You look like such a slut right-" Francis's sneer was cut off by the tremendous crash of Ivan breaking down the door. 'I should have known it was this asshole.' He thought as he stepped into the dark room. The sight that met his eyes sent a mixture of fury and jealousy rampaging through his brain and into his shaking fists. Two pairs of handcuffs bound each of Gilbert's wrists to his ankles, blood seeping onto the floor from the reopened gashes. Hands were pushing his thighs apart and Francis's member was positioned at the already-torn and swollen entrance. Snapping around to face him, Francis's eyes grew wider and wider, much like a deer staring into the headlights of a freight train. A very pissed off freight train. The blonde Frenchman stuttered incoherently as Ivan walked slowly towards him. Finally allowing his pent-up anger to unleash, Ivan brought his fist down on the handsome face, effectively silencing the stammering voice with an immensely satisfying crack. Picking the whimpering deadweight off the ground by his collar, Ivan threw Francis across the room; sending him crashing into a desk and knocking him out. The limp body slid to the ground without a sound. Making his way slowly over, Ivan knelt next to the unconscious form, a light pat on the cheek bringing him blinking back to awareness.

"Good. We don't want you passing out before I'm done, now do we?" Ivan's smile widened at the sheer, petrified horror shining in those blue eyes. Those eyes which had seen his Gilbert's most vulnerable places. Those hands which had defiled and tortured his beloved. He would get rid of them all…

"I…Iva…n…" violet eyes were snapped out of their hard, burning state at the sound of the whisper behind him. Revenge was not the most pressing matter at the current moment. Ivan felt his muscles relax somewhat; though the rage refused to settle entirely. Leaning forward, he whispered.

"If I see any pictures vaguely resembling Gilbert anywhere in this school, I will kill you. If I find any pictures or videos of Gilbert on any website, I will kill you. Do you understand?" Francis nodded his head frantically and Ivan gave him a sharp slap.

"I want to hear you say it. Do you understand?"

"Y-Y-Yes! Yes!" Ivan released the trembling coward, rising calmly and levelly to his feet to look down on the whimpering boy.

"And I think it goes without saying that if you touch him again – in any way – I. Will. Kill. You. Now get out of my sight." With another soft moan, Francis scrambled across the floor to his backpack; throwing it over his shoulder as he flew out of the door-less entryway.

The threat finally gone, Ivan whirled around to dash back to where Gilbert lay on his back on the linoleum. Kneeling next to him, Ivan gently cupped Gilbert's face, a new bruise beginning to sprout over the half-healed welts. Bending over, Ivan kissed every part of Gilbert's face he could get to; the week's worth of bottled up worry flowing out of him in waves of overwhelming emotion.

"Do you know where the handcuff keys are? I can chase him back down if he has them." Even in his rattled state, Ivan managed to remain calm. Gilbert, however, was a different story. He was once again hyperventilating and his answer was almost incoherent.

"N…No….Ri…ov-over….th…e…" Ivan followed where Gilbert was looking and noticed two small keys kept together by a short chain lying on the ground a few feet away. Reaching over Gilbert, Ivan quickly grabbed them, fumbling to release the shaking boy form the metal cuffs digging into his injuries. Gilbert's arms were around Ivan as soon as the restraints fell away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I'm so sorry…" Ivan returned the embrace, holding the sobbing boy and waiting patiently for him to calm down. The rapid apologies gradually lessened until silence finally fell on the dark room.

"It's alright, Gilbert. There's nothing for you to apologize for." Red eyes snapped up to lock with Ivan's.

"But-but I…and F-Francis….I-"

"I don't blame you for what that bastard made you do. But you really should have just told me about it."

"But…he would've….and still might….show everyone-" Gilbert's voice broke with the last few syllables and his words trailed away, his eyes filling with tears once more.

"Then I'll just kill him." Ivan felt the arms around him tighten in response. After a few minutes of silence, Ivan stood, bringing Gilbert to his feet as well.

"Come, Gilbert. Put your pants on. Let's get you home."


	16. Chapter 15

Gil was overwhelmingly grateful to the reassuring arm holding him firmly by the shoulders as he and Ivan made their way down his street. Slender fingers tugged at a purple scarf and tan jacket as if the boy attached to them would collapse without the extra support. _'Then again, I probably would…I'm so tired I can't even feel my legs…When was the last time I slept through the night?'_ Thinking back, Gil tried to count the days since the torture started. But thinking about that sent images of Francis flooding his tired mind. His sneer. The wrinkles in his jeans. His violent hands. His odor. His-

"Gilbert, it's okay. You're safe." Snapping out of his visions, Gil vaguely wondered why Ivan had randomly said something so obvious. Only then did he notice the fresh tears streaming down his face and the whimpers slipping from his throat. Fighting to get himself under control, Gil mumbled the only words he could think to say to the boy he had betrayed.

"I'm sorry. I-"

"Please say something else. You have done nothing but apologize since…please. Anything else."

"…Thank you." Gil felt Ivan's chest rise in an enormous sigh, the arm around him tightening slightly. Coming back to reality, Gil noticed they were at his front door, Ivan's free hand reaching towards the doorbell. Almost instantly, the entry opened, Ludwig standing before them. He did not look surprised and, looking at what Gil knew to be his very bruised and beaten face, his eyes grew harder and more angry. Backing away to let them in, Ludwig was asking questions before the door closed all the way.

"What happened, Iv-"

"Not now. Gilbert needs to rest." Cutting off the urgent voice, Ivan leaned down to ask softly.

"Can you make it to your room?" Gil clung even harder to his savior as Ivan removed his arm from shaking shoulders. Gil didn't recognize the pleading voice coming out of his mouth.

"Don't leave, please! Don't leave…don't…" Gil felt the comforting warmth of Ivan's arm return along with a hand resting on his head.

"Alright, I'll stay. Just show me where your room is." Ivan turned his head as the pair passed Ludwig and Gil heard him whisper.

"Later."

Making their way to his bed, Gil sat on the edge and tried with fumbling fingers to take off his shoes. Kneeling in front of the struggling boy, Ivan removed both boots with a few sure movements, throwing the blanket over Gil as he laid down in the soft, lulling covers. Again clutching the scarf with one hand, Gil rested his head on Ivan's shoulder as the other boy sat down on top of the blanket, slightly propped up by the headboard. Sufficiently reassured that Ivan would still be there when he woke up, Gil was asleep before either boy could say another word.

…..

Lud stood outside his brother's bedroom door, hand poised to knock. He had waited a half-hour in the living room to see if Ivan would return and, when his reappearance never came, Lud found he could not take the anxiety and impatience any longer. _'I've got to know what happened…is the situation resolved? Do we know who's been hurting Gil?'_ Deciding that silence was probably best, Lud lowered his hand to the doorknob and opened the door without knocking. The sight that met his eyes was something he had not seen in days. Gilbert was sleeping soundly, not a muscle moving, no nightmares disturbing his rest. The boy he was using for a pillow seemed to have dozed off as well, but lavender eyes flashed open as Lud took a few steps inside. Looking down to inspect Gilbert, Ivan looked back up and whispered quietly.

"I'll tell you what happened now, if you wish. Just don't wake him." Lud took a seat in Gilbert's desk chair, turning it to face the Russian as he whispered back.

"What happened?" Ivan took a deep breath before answering.

"Francis." Lud could hear the hatred underneath the calm tone.

"…And? Tell me what happened." Ivan's gaze became even more guarded, if that was possible.

"He was harming Gilbert and I put an end to it. Gilbert can explain in more detail if he is comfortable with it." Lud squinted his eyes as he stared at Ivan; it was obvious he was not getting the whole story.

"Why was he hurting Gil? Why wouldn't Gil just tell us about it? This isn't adding up, Ivan."

"He's a sick person and Gilbert was blackmailed." A suspicion that Lud hoped with every fiber of his being was not true began forming in his head.

"…Just what was he blackmailed into doing?" Ivan made eye contact with Lud's sharpened tone, his eyes emotionless and stern.

"It's not my place to say." The lack of answer was, in and of itself, answer enough and Lud could not keep the fury at bay.

"That's it. Have you killed him yet?! Cause I'll finish the job if-" Lud was halted halfway through his rant by a cool hand smothering his mouth, accompanied by a mumbled groan from his sleeping brother. Removing his hand, Ivan said calmly.

"You have no right to be upset or protective."

"…Huh?!"

"If I'm not mistaken, you yourself did similar acts to Gilbert not too long ago, only without the aid of blackmail. I'll repeat what I said to Francis to you as well; if you lay a finger on Gilbert again, I will kill you." Lud simply stared a moment, his brain processing what had been said as a deep red blush grew in his cheeks. Before he could scream the string of curses he had prepared, Ivan whispered with a small smile.

"If you intend to lose your temper or become loud, I suggest you take it outside so as not to wake my Gilbert." Feeling as if he were about to explode, Lud stormed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him despite his urge to break it off its hinges. _'I'm completely over the whole Gil crush, but that still pisses me the fuck off!'_

…..

Gil woke to the smell of pine trees and cold iron. _'Ivan's scent…_' He thought groggily as half-opened eyes took in the surroundings. _'I remember making it in here and Ivan sitting on the bed, but not much else…'_ A few things had changed since Gil had last been conscious. Ivan's jacket, pants and scarf were draped over Gil's desk chair and he was now under the covers in his undershirt and boxers. _'I don't remember either of us taking off our clothes...'_ Gil pondered as he surveyed his bare chest. Just then, a light pressure was felt on Gil's forehead, the familiar feel of Ivan's lips making his eyes drift closed at the comfortable feeling.

"Are you better?" Gil looked up into two violet, sleep-filled eyes and could not help but to smile. Puzzling over the strange question, Gil paused to think.

Reality flooded his mind like a slap to the face and Gil's blissful state shattered. _'How in the hell could I forget what happened?!_' When Gil made eye contact again, the face in front of him had grown more aware – more serious – and he was sure Ivan had noticed the change in his own expression.

"Better than before…" Gil said, fighting back a yawn. _'I feel like I could sleep a lot longer. Wait. How long have I been asleep?! Crap! It was a school night!_' Bolting up, Gil's frantic mind went immediately into panic mode; the only thing keeping him from jumping out of bed being Ivan's firm hold on his shoulders.

"What time is it?! What day?! How long have I-"

"Shh, calm down…calm down." Ivan continued only when Gil's tense muscles had loosened and his breathing had returned somewhat to normal.

"It's about twelve in the afternoon; we have only missed one day of school."

"Why didn't you wake me up?! Why didn't_ you _at least go?! It's our last year, we can't _afford_ to miss!" Fingers stroked Gil's hair as he slowly regained control of himself.

"I had been informed that you had not had a decent night's sleep for nearly a week now. You needed this and I did not want to leave you alone in case you woke up. It's okay, one day will be simple to make up." Gil was about to say more but another yawn interrupted his words; proving the truth in Ivan's words.

"Now, we still have the rest of the day. Sleep some more." Gil was being lowered down onto the mattress and could find no argument for Ivan's persuasions; there really was no use in going to school halfway through the day. The usual tingle that came with Ivan's lips on his was different to Gil. Laced with guilt and an extreme hatred of himself. Fingers traced his jaw bone before the pair laid back down; but Gil found that sleep took a little longer to claim him as thoughts of betrayal and pain ricocheted around his exhausted mind.

* * *

_Hi, everyone! So, I'm sensing a little disappointment about Lud not teaming up with Ivan to destroy Francis. And also, there is a surprising amount of people who wanted more FrancisXGil rape action (*sniffle sniffle* fellow sadists, I'm so happy :') but i couldn't do any more to Gil than i already have. The poor kid's having a rough time. So how about this? Ivan and Lud put aside their differences and do terrible, sadistic shit to the bastard that raped Gilly? Then everybody gets their Lud Ivan duo and their SM fix, all in one ^-^ comments? suggestions? REVIEW 3_


	17. Extra: Romano and Antonio 2

Extra: Antonio and Romano

"Is it just me, or is Franny acting weird?" Antonio inquired as he and Romano crossed the threshold into his house.

"Who cares? He's weird all the time." The smaller boy said with a dismissive shrug. Antonio turned to face Romano, the worry on his face telling the other boy that the conversation was far from over. '_Dammit, once Tony starts fretting about something, he just can't drop it._..' Antonio opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by an exasperated sigh.

"Yes, Tony. I've noticed. He's distant, looks scared. And he's constantly looking over his shoulder like he thinks something is after him. But what can we do?"

"Make him tell us what's wrong."

"You've tried that a million times." Antonio looked down dejectedly and Romano could not help but to add.

"Alright, we can pester him more about it tomorrow. Just quit your worrying." By now, the pair had made it into Antonio's bedroom and Romano watched as his mood changed from saddened worry to complete pervert in a matter of seconds. Closing the distance between them, Antonio brought a hand up to run through dark hair and Romano felt the usual uneasiness; the adrenaline pulsing through his veins and claustrophobia plucking at his nerves. Fighting the urge to defend himself, Romano backed away until he was forced to stop, his spine pressed against the cool wall.

"You'll help me forget about Francis, wont' you?" Feeling the green eyes boring into him, Romano glanced off to the side, his voice rough as he turned to anger to hide his emotions.

"Just do it already and stop saying dumb shit." Antonio's expression drooped, an almost annoyed tone appearing in his flat-lined eyebrows.

"You are so unromantic."

"I'm a guy who's about to be pushed onto that bed and treated like a chick. Of course I'm not romantic!" Romano found himself shouting, his finger jabbing in the direction of the pile of unkempt sheets and comforters that was Antonio's bed. Emerald eyes blinked in surprise at the outburst; Antonio was not quite sure what to made of the anger.

"…So, are you saying you don't…like…?" Antonio trailed away, his insecurities keeping him from his usual, confident mood. Romano grew even more red at the unfinished question, his mind struggling for an answer. _'I definitely don't want to admit that I like it, but I can't really tell him I hate it either…How the fuck can I explain this?'_

"It's not…that. I just never feel…in control. I don't like being treated like a girl all the time; holding my hand, helping me stand up, saying gooey shit to me. It makes me feel like you're making fun of me…" Antonio's hand – which had been stroking dark, hazel-highlighted hair through his confession – ran down to Romano's cheek, forcing him to make eye contact as Antonio spoke with a small smile.

"Por supuesto, no! Of course I'm not making fun of you! I'm just treating you like I would someone I love, it doesn't matter what gender you are." Romano felt his heart beat quicken at Antonio's choice of words. '_L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-LOVE?!_' Pulling himself back together, he managed to speak.

"W-Well, it still doesn't make me feel very good…" Inching his face forward, Antonio kissed Romano with a deliberate, gentle lightness.

"Si, I understand. Can you think of anything to make you more comfortable? Whatever it is, I'll be happy to do it." Romano looked down to hide his smile as an evil plan formed in his mind.

"I think I may know of something…"

…

"C'mon, Tony. You said you'd "be happy to do it". Don't chicken out on me now." Romano said as he held out the handcuffs to a very uneasy-looking Antonio.

"I'm not too sure about this…Are you going to…?"

"No, we'll do it the regular way, just at my pace. These are so you can't jump me halfway through and do whatever you want. Besides, you've had me in these before even though I said no." Leaning forward across the bed, Romano eased Antonio down onto his back in a manner he rarely used. Antonio reluctantly surrendered his wrists and with a few rapid clicks, he was tied to the headboard. Reassured by the bonds, Romano kissed the restrained boy deeply, chuckling at the sound of the handcuffs being pulled taunt.

"I hate this, Roma – Mm – I want to touch you." Antonio said between kisses.

"It's okay, you'll feel better soon." Romano lifted himself off of the bed and, without warning or explanation, left the room. Antonio sat in confused silence as he waited for his captor to return. After a few minutes of distant rustling sounds, Romano returned carrying a bag that made Antonio gasp involuntarily. Noticing his shocked expression, Romano said with a sly smile.

"I found this a few days ago in your bathroom. When were you planning on using it on me? Tonight?" Antonio stammered as the product was taken out of the bag, still in its packaging.

"Well, this one can be yours…you got it pretty small, it's barely half your own size." Romano said over Antonio's shocked stutters as he climbed on the bed at the bound boy's feet.

"Then again, I guess the small size is a good thing since, by the look on your face, this will be you first time…" The helpless body began to struggle as small hands removed his pants and underwear.

"Roma, I'm serious. Stop it." All this got in response was an almost angry sneer.

"If I had a dollar for every time I've said that to you…" Reaching across the wriggling form under him, Romano opened a draw in the nightstand, pulling out a bottle of lube and returning to the foot of the bed. Opening the now-resisting legs, Romano took his time unwrapping the toy and covering it with the clear gel. Antonio flinched as something nudged at a place no one had ever touched before.

"Stop it, Roma!"

"Don't worry, I'll use my finger first to loosen you up." Antonio had no time to respond as the extremely strange and uncomfortable feeling of something entering him stopped all thought._ 'It…It hurts so much…_' Suddenly, flashes of his first time with Romano flooded his brain; the smaller boy's voice had sounded much the same as his own, just much louder. Filled with a lot more pain. '_I thought he was just being stubborn…if just a finger is this bad, he must have felt ten times worse…'_

"You're getting used to it." Romano whispered as the walls around his finger relaxed slightly. Whimpers sounded from the front of the bed as a second finger was added. With much difficulty, Antonio kept from begging, his lip growing sore as he bit into it to stop any words from escaping. '_How the hell is he keeping quiet through this_?' Romano marveled as he scissored his fingers. '_that's better._' He smiled deviously as Antonio gave an involuntary grunt.

"Now let's see if we can find your "spot"." The top boy purred, bending his fingers up in a come-hither motion. The reaction was immediate and strong. All voice restraint fell away as Antonio's back arched and toes curled.

"Did that feel good?" The digits were relaxed back to where they had been before to give the startled boy they were in a few seconds to recover.

"H-How?!" Antonio exclaimed in bewilderment, staring down at his now-raging hard on.

"I don't really understand it either, but that spot feels great, doesn't it?" His pride keeping him from answering truthfully, Antonio remained silent, gasping slightly as the probes inside him were removed.

"Prepare yourself, Tony. This is a few sizes bigger than my fingers." Antonio twitched as cold, gel covered plastic was placed at his entrance. With one fast push the entire dildo slid in, causing pain mixed with a strange tingling sensation to shoot up Antonio's spine. Muscles clenched around the intrusion until the panting boy finally adjusted, his pride all but vanishing in the odd sensation.

"AH! So-So full…Feels weird…"

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Oh, look. There's five levels of vibration. I think I'll go ahead and put it at full power." A whirring sound was heard as Romano flipped the switch all the way to the right, followed by Antonio's screams. Leaving his captive there to writhe on the bed, Romano got up and began to undress. By the time he came back, missing his pants and shirt, Antonio was nice and desperate.

"Take…Take it out! You…you said…NN! R-Regular way…" Coming to sit on top of Antonio's twitching body, Romano attempted to spread the lube on the member under him.

"Don't worry, I'll satisfy the front too, if you'll stop thrashing around so I can prepare…Stop squirming!" Romano said impatiently.

"Can't…help it-Nn!" Antonio panted as his body kept wiggling out of Romano's grasp.

"Guess we better turn it down a little, huh?" The sporadic movement decreased to occasional twitching as the control was set to low. Finishing the application, Romano positioned himself over the slickened organ.

"Ah...you're so hard…" Romano uttered softly as he eased himself down. '_It feels so much better going slowly. It doesn't hurt at all…_' A faint groan escaped the top boy as he was filled and began moving his hips.

"R-Roma…"

"How does it feel, Tony?"

"Weird…unh, this is wrong…" Bending over, Romano grabbed Antonio's flushing face, looking into half-closed, emerald eyes as hot, panting breath mingled with his own.

"Feeling emasculated? Is that why it's so "wrong"? Welcome to my world." No response was given as Romano straightened back up and continued his movements. The minutes passed quickly as each boy became more and more frantic; Antonio bucking his hips as the walls around him tightened.

"F…faster…Ro…"

"Tony, I'm…I'm co…coming!" Antonio cried out as the vibrations combined with Romano's orgasming body sent him diving into his own, mind-blowing climax. Collapsing onto Antonio's chest, Romano laid panting, unaware of his partner's continued discomfort.

"Romano! Turn-Turn it off! Please, I can't-" Suddenly remembering, Romano reached behind himself with a shaky grip and turned off the vibrations, slipping the device out of its twitching sheath and returning to lay on the heaving, panting body beneath him.

"I'm sorry." Romano's eyes flashed open at the murmured words .

"…What?!" Lifting his head, Romano looked into Antonio's exhausted face as he repeated himself.

"I'm sorry."

"What the fuck are you apologizing for?! In case you've forgotten, I just anally raped you."

"I'm sorry for hurting you the first time; I was ignorant. I didn't know it felt like…that." Romano smothered the emotion he knew he could never allow himself to show with the usual angry tone, but could not keep the smile from pulling at his lips.

"You idiot. I didn't do this to make you feel bad. I just wanna be in control sometimes," Romano said as he unlocked the handcuffs. "and I didn't wanna be the only one to squirm like a girl…" Strong but gentle arms were around the top boy's slender waist as soon as Antonio was free.

"Te amo, Roma. I love you so much."

"…I know."

* * *

_Hey, guys, this is going to be the last chapter for just a little while; i need a break from this plot so i don't start making mistakes :p I'm going to start posting a new fic for a few chapters and come back to this one after a little vacation from it. If any of you guys have read "Koisuru Boukun", otherwise known as "The Tyrant That Fell In Love", that is what the next fic is about. Only mine's called "Koisuru Dorei", or "The Slave That Fell In Love" ;) And for those that haven't read it; if you liked this story, you would definitely loooooove that manga! so read it, then come back and read meh fic, kay? I heart you all tons for sticking through this sadistic plot with me and I promise to get back to this soon; I just need time to think some things over about Gil's character development..._


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